The SWAT Kat's Final Days
by James L. King
Summary: A rewrite of the story with my current writing style. The new Chapter 4 is the original versions lumped into one file.
1. Part 1: Farewell

The SWAT Kats

Part 1: Final Days (Rewrite)

By James L. King

Legal disclaimer: SWAT Kats, and all associated characters and places are owned and copyrighted by Hanna/Barbera.

The song 'Superman' is written and copyrighted by Five for Fighting.

The name Superman is copyright by DC Comics.

I borrowed the section/page breaks from Kris Sharpe. Mine don't work here on FF.N Thanks Kris!

If I've missed any copyrights, lemme know.

Author's Notes: I wrote the orignal as an experiment in writing style, and it took almost a year to complete. I was re-reading this and was groaning at all the unnecessary POV switches and all the Time Traveling (was-is-was-is-was) I did. So... this is a three day rewrite of this trilogy fic with my current writing style. A few scenes have been added and changed to better reflect the story I wanted to tell.

* * *

"Hey, Chance! I've got good news and bad news," Jake says as he walks into the living room.

"Yeah?" Chance asks while Scaredy Kat continues in the background.

"Ok, here's the good news. I've done some figuring, and between all the Enforcer cars we've fixed, if we were applying our standard rate, and our Enforcer salaries going toward paying our debt off, we'll be outta here in only a couple more weeks! We've only got twelve-hundred dollars left, apiece!"

"That's great news! So, what's the bad news?" Chance asks. He doesn't notice Jake tossing a rubber tarantula in front of him as he looks up at Jake.

"We'll probably have to close shop, leave the yard, and never fly as SWAT Kats again. According to the agreement we were forced to sign, Burke and Murray regain total control of the yard when our debt is paid off."

"Wha... crud! Can't we do something about it?" Chance demands, his face displaying anger.

"Not as far as I can see, buddy." Jake says in a thick voice, bowing his head, "Not as far as I can see."

"May as well start hiding the Hangar's lower levels and leave the top level as this place's basement, just like when we got here." Chance looks back at the TV and notices the spider. "AHHH! Get it away, get it away!"

He looks up upon hearing Jake laugh, and realizes that he'd fallen for a prank. He gets up and rushes Jake, who dodges and runs out into the yard, still laughing.

* * *

A week later, 

'Off to work again. Boy am I glad the Mayor comes back tonight, I can't take much more of this without help.' Callie thinks as she gets into her car to head to City Hall. Just as she gets off a side street she slams on the brakes and turns the wheel to avoid the flying craft that was landing there. Her car skids out of control and bends around a streetlight. The last thing she sees is a glimpse of a creepling in her rear-view mirror as darkness takes her.

"It's not like Callie not to pick up her phone, and I've tried all of them, Jake." Chance says as he hangs up the receiver.

"Her office, home, car and cell phones?" Jake asks as he finishes changing the oil in a car.

"Yeah, all four. No answer on any of them. I got her voice-mail on her cell and car phones, her answering machine at home, and the front desk at City Hall said she hadn't arrived yet." Chance sounds worried.

"Well, she does have to fill in for the Mayor while he's away. Maybe the green giant doesn't need its scheduled maintenance yet, or she's just too busy to pay attention to it for now."

"I dunno. I guess I worry when we can't get up with her."

"If you're really that worried, you can track her communicator and check it against the City's Radar map, ok?"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop worryin'."

* * *

Callie wakes to find herself surrounded by Creeplings, and looks up at a massive purple face. 

"Welcome to my lair, Deputy Mayor. Make yourself at home," the face says and he steps back.

"What do you want, Dark Kat?"

"What else? The SWAT Kats dead, and MegaKat City under my control."

"I'll never sign over MegaKat City to you."

"No, but you can call the SWAT Kats for me." Dark Kat replies.

"Never," she growls, "I won't let you hurt them."

"You don't need to, I've got your communication device, Ms. Briggs." Dark Kat gloats as he holds a small triangular device up. He presses the button on it.

The alarm goes off and Jake hurries a customer out of the door as Chance hits the button in the office.

"Yes, Ms. Briggs?"

"I'm not Ms. Briggs, SWAT Kat," a dark and familiar voice says.

"Dark Kat! How did..."

"I've kidnapped her, and I want to see you in person, to barter for her life."

They hear Callie yell in the background, "Guys, don't!"

"If you don't come, she will die. If you do come, you'll die. Your choice SWAT Kat. Call the Enforcers, and she'll die anyway. Come to MegaKat National Park Volcano. You know where."

"Don't, please, I'm not..." Callie shouts as Dark Kat smashes the communicator, causing static to blare from the speaker.

* * *

The TurboKat blasts out of the launch tunnel, and heads over the City, flying low and fast, toward the National Park. Commander and Felina Feral are patrolling in a Chopper when they see the TurboKat scream past, then a sonic boom hits them. 

"What fire are they hurrying to get to?" Felina muses as Commander Feral spills his coffee in his lap.

"OW!" he yelps. "Damn SWAT Kats!" Feral yells into the comm as Felina laughs. "After them, Lieutenant! I'm going to string them up by their tails!"

"Think he got the message, Razor?" T-Bone asks as Feral yells and curses at them through the comm.

"I dunno, but he's following..." Razor says as he looks at the outlines on the Dimensional Radar, "Better slow it down a touch. We need him to track us."

* * *

T-Bone sets the TurboKat down near the tunnel they'd made several years before, when it was Feral they had to rescue. They jump out and run into the tunnel, aware that it was still booby-trapped. 

Razor activates his mini-Katscanner and takes the lead, "Follow me buddy."

* * *

"Hahaha, do you see this, Deputy Mayor? The SWAT Kats are about to find out about my new traps." 

"No," Callie gasps, "Guys... I told you not to come."

"T-Bone, the mini-Katscanner indicates crusher traps ahead. Walls, then ceiling." Razor says, panting as he runs alongside T-Bone.

"Roger that, buddy," T-Bone replies.

He hears Razor use his grapple, and activates his. They retract the grapples just as the walls move inward. T-Bone loses a few hairs from his tail as the walls smash right behind them. They run ahead, at full speed as the ceiling starts dropping. They leap out of the way just in time, and land, rolling to a stop in the main cavern.

In a matter of seconds, dozens of Creeplings swarm them.

They hear Dark Kat's ominous laugh as they throw the creeplings off and stand. Dark Kat picks Callie up by her neck, holding her in the air in front of him as the SWAT Kats aim their glovatrixes at him.

As the two SWAT Kats get done throwing the last of the creeplings aside, and aim their glovatrixes at him, he snarls, "Stop right there or I'll break her neck, SWAT Kats. I know she's a special friend of yours."

"Ignore me, just get him guys..." Callie wheezes, "Please."

Razor and T-Bone look at each other, then take off their glovatrixes and set them on the ground.

"You should have listened to her, SWAT Kats," Dark Kat gloats, "You must love her in order to sacrifice yourselves for her like this."

"Hold it right there, Dark Kat, you're under arrest!" Feral shouts as he and Felina aim their guns at him from another passageway.

"Drop your weapons, Commander. I hold all the cards in this game." Dark Kat declares, an evil smile on his face. He produces a remote from under his cloak and holds it up, "Attack, and this whole cavern will crumble."

Callie unsheathes her claws and swipes the remote out of Dark Kat's hands. She swings her other hand behind her at Dark Kat, who drops her. He backhands her, knocking her out, and unsheathes his massive claws. He raises his hand to kill her just as both Ferals fire on him. His corpse lands on the remote, activating it. Explosives attached to each supporting pillar in the cavern go off, and the place starts to cave in.

T-Bone grabs both glovatrixes, while Razor runs over to and picks up Callie. Razor runs out of the chamber, and stops just long enough to set Callie, who had just regained consciousness, on her feet and run down the corridor. Commander and Lieutenant Feral both follow closely, with T-Bone running behind them all. Callie stumbles, and T-Bone scoops her up in his arms as he runs. They all leap out of the cave just as it collapses with a roar and a huge cloud of dust.

T-Bone picks Callie up and sets her on her feet, while Razor helps Felina and Commander Feral up off the ground.

Razor brushes the dust from his suit and says, "Lieutenant, I want to say it's been a pleasure knowing and working with you. We'll miss you."

He offers his hand and she takes it, "Thanks, but what do you mean you'll miss me?"

T-Bone walks up and says, "He means, this is probably the last time you or anyone will ever see us. With Dark Kat gone, we can just about retire... so we are going to."

"What?" she asks horrified, "You can't mean that!"

Callie moans as Razor kisses her. After a moment, he lets her go and says, "Goodbye, Callie. Find someone to love who can love you without holding back."

T-Bone pulls Felina into his arms, and kisses her. She returns the embrace and kiss, bringing her hand to the back of his head and pulling him against her as she deepens the kiss. After a quiet moment, he releases her and whispers, "Take care of yourself, gorgeous."

After getting over his intial shock of the vigilante kissing his niece, Feral yells, "What do you think you're doing, SWAT Kat?"

"Commander want a kiss," Razor taunts as he jumps into the TurboKat.

T-Bone caresses her cheek and kisses her again, then turns and leaps into the TurboKat.

"Damn you, T-Bone," Felina mutters as the jet takes off, "Damn you."

Afew minutes later, while on their way back to Enforcer HQ, a message comes over the radio, "Commander, someone named Clawson from MegaKat Salvage wants to speak to you."

"What does he want?"

"He says it's about the SWAT Kats."

"Put him on," Feral replies.

"Commander, this is Jacob Clawson from the Salvage Yard.

"I remember who you are, Clawson. Make it quick."

"The SWAT Kats just...CHANCE GET AWAY FROM THAT JET! WE DON'T WANT FERAL ACCUSING US OF BEING THE SWAT KATS BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD YOUR GRIMY HANDS ON THE FUSELAGE!"

"I just want to sit in it," Chance's pouting reply filters through the link. They hear Jake stifle a laugh and mutter, "Once a pilot, always a pilot."

"You have the TurboKat, Clawson?" Feral growls, still shaking his head from Jake's yelling.

"Yeah, and the SWAT Kats asked us to call you after they had left."

"I'll be right there, and don't touch that jet, or else I will arrest the both of you for tampering with evidence, Clawson."

"I'll try to restrain Chance, Commander."

He turns the Chopper around and flies toward the Salvage yard. Upon arriving, he sees the two ex-Enforcer pilots walking around admiring the jet.

"Get away from that!"

Both toms roll their eyes, walk into the garage, and start working on a car. Felina follows them in.

"So... you two are the ones my Uncle says are the best?"

"Best at getting in his way when it was our tag to start with? Or is it the best excuse he could find to get us booted off?" the tiger says with anger in his voice. "Or..."

"Chance, stop it," the smaller tom snaps, then turns to her, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but even after five years he's still bitter about it. I'm Clawson, he's Furlong."

"My name's Felina Feral."

"We know. We've seen you on the news several times."

Callie walks in, and Chance looks up, grinning. "Hi Callie."

"Hi guys," she says, her voice thick from exhaustion and emotion.

"What's wrong, Ms. Briggs?" Chance asks, walking over to her. He raises his hand to put on her shoulder, and realizes that it's grease covered, so he gestures to inside the house, "Come in, sit down, and tell us about it."

"The SWAT Kats are leaving. Running out on MegaKat City... and me."

"Why? What happened," he asks as he gets a can of milk from the fridge and gives it to her. He joins Jake at the sink so they can wash their hands.

"They said because Dark Kat is dead, they're going to leave the City in the Enforcer's care," Jake sits next to her and takes her hands in his.

"Ms. Briggs, they may have other reasons for..."

"Furlong, Clawson! Report," Feral bellows from outside.

Looking annoyed, Jake releases Callie's hands, "Haven't heard that in ages, eh, Chance?"

"Nope. Don't want to again, that's for sure."

Feral storms into the garage, then into the house, and sees both toms trying to console Callie.

"Report, you two."

"Report about what? We don't report to you," Chance says.

After seeing Feral start to grow angry, Jake adds, "They landed, unloaded their bike, told us to call you, and left."

"You're risking court-martial with your dis..." Feral snarls, towering over both toms.

"You kicked us off so we ain't Enforcers anymore, _Commander_, so leave off the military protocols, ok?"

Jake sits back down next to Callie.

Felina stands between both of them, holding them apart, "Look, Uncle, he does have a point. He isn't an Enforcer anymore."

She turns and stares down Chance, "You better show him more respect, Furlong, or I'll kick your tail... understand?"

"Yeah," Chance growls, "I understand."

"I'm taking the TurboKat for study," Feral says as he walks out of the door, "You had better not hassle my Enforcers when they come to get it."

"We won't. It's bad enough here, so we don't want to end up in prison." Chance retorts.

"Coming, Ms. Briggs?" Felina asks.

"No. Chance can you tow my car here? It's banged up a bit from Dark Kat."

"Sure thing, Callie." Chance says as he digs the tow-truck keys out of his pocket.

"Jake, what did you mean by 'other reasons'?" Callie asks.

"Well, they may be moving soon, or they might be getting too old to play superhero. Who knows? Maybe they realize that it's time to end things, so they're ending them quietly." The sound of the Chopper taking off drowns Jake out, and he repeats it when the sound had diminished.

"They can't leave! They're heroes," she says, on the verge of tears.

"They're my heroes," she whispers, looking downward, "They always come, they always care... they... love me. No one else really loves me -- not like they do."

Jake's heart breaks, but he manages to hide his feelings as he says, "You know that one song? The one that talks about SuperKat?"

"Uh, no, I don't." she says, looking up at him. Her eyes are filled with tears. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. But there's a line in it that says, 'Even heroes have the right to bleed, even heroes have the right to dream'. Maybe they dream of living a normal life. Maybe they're tired of bleeding, and are quitting while they are still young enough to live normal lives." he says.

"Maybe you're right, Jake." she says. "I still can't help but think they're running out on me."

"Do you love them?"

"Yes."

"No, I mean, truly love them. Not for what they've done, not for the personas they set forward, for they themselves. Do you love the kats behind their masks?"

"I... don't know. I wish I knew who they were."

"They're probably just a couple of guys that are burned out from being heroes, and just want to settle down, work nine to five, marry a coupla girls and raise kittens," he says, with a sad look on his face. Callie looks at him strange.

"Suddenly you're an expert on them?" she spits.

"I'm no expert on the SWAT Kats. I'm an expert at fixing cars and running a junkyard."

"So how do you know?"

"Basic armchair psychology. Something I learned back in the Enforcers. I can identify with being burned out and wanting a normal life. Feral sending us here did that."

"I still wish they wouldn't leave."

She bows her head, and he runs a finger down her cheek and it stops under her chin. With gentle force, he lifts her head so she's looking at him, "Only they really know why they left. You've got to be the one to move on."

* * *

Chance starts the tow-truck and drives out, glancing at the TurboKat, then at the departing Chopper. He finds Callie's car and hooks it up, then drives back. On his way back he sees four Enforcer Patrol Choppers carrying the Turbokat on a net stretched between them. 

He backs Callie's car into the garage, then walks inside.

"Well, I guess it's finally happened," Chance declares.

"What?" Callie asks.

"No more SWAT Kats. The Enforcers got the jet now."

"I guess they meant it when they said they're retiring," she mutters.

"We can have your car fixed late tonight. It is in bad shape, but not unfixable," Chance says, "We kept a spare chassis around for just such an occasion."

"Yeah. I can wait."

"Ok, you have free reign of the house. If ya wanna take a nap, jus' use Jake's room, it's cleaner'n mine. It's the one halfway down the hall. If ya wanna watch TV, there's the remote. If ya want something to eat, feel free to use the kitchen."

"Thanks for offering my room," Jake mutters.

"Thanks guys," Callie says before climbing the stairs, and going in a room.

Chance leans over to Jake, "Hey look at it this way, you'll be the one smelling her on your bed-sheets."

"Like I really need that?" Jake retorts.

"Yes. Now let's get t' work."

* * *

"Commander, we just got done dusting the TurboKat for prints." 

"Tell me there were some?" Feral asks.

"Sorry, Commander, whoever the SWAT Kats are, they're nothing if not thorough. There was no trace of any prints anywhere on the jet."

"Those two hotshots must have left a print somewhere! Keep searching that jet!" Feral replies, then sits down at his desk to sign paperwork.

* * *

"All right, we're done here," Chance says as he closes the hood. "Jake, how ya comin' on that last body panel?" 

"Done," Jake says as he finishes washing his hands.

"Can ya get Callie and tell her we're done? I'm gonna go wash up now."

"Sure, Chance."

Jake climbs the stairs and walks into his room. He sees Callie lying in his bed, the covers pulled up to her neck.

"Callie, wake up." he says, placing his hand her shoulder.

"Yeah?" she murmurs. She rolls over and looks at him, blinking her eyes a few times.

"Your car's fixed," Jake says as he backs toward the door. "We also gave it a tune-up, as it was due for it. We've decided to waive the fee for the tune-up, as it wouldn't be fair to charge you for that."

"Ok. Thanks," she says as she sits up, letting the covers fall. Jake takes a step backward as she swings her bare legs out from under the covers and stands. The sight of Callie in her underwear and bra causes him to blush, and he walks out of his room.

"Jake?"

He walks to the door, but looks at the floor instead of her. "Yeah?"

"Thank you," she says as she shrugs her blouse on and buttons it.

"Uh, thanks for what?" he asks. She walks up to him and plants a kiss on his cheek as she hugs him.

"For everything," she whispers in his ear, "I did a lot of thinking... and, you are right."

He steps back and Callie smiles at him.

She sits back down on his bed and pulls her miniskirt on and tightens the belt.

Jake walks downstairs.

"What took so long?" Chance asks as Jake walks past.

"She wanted a hug and a kiss. Something I normally wouldn't mind quite so much, but she was in her, umm... under-things."

"Ooh, Kats. Why didn't I go up there?" Chance rumbles.

"How much guys?" they hear from the stairway.

The two toms glance at each other, then Chance says, "Five-hundred and thirty-eight dollars. We had the parts on hand, otherwise it'd be over two-thousand. Car's still in the heat booth. New paint's gotta dry, y'know."

"Oh, ok."

"Want somethin' to eat? It's eight and you haven't had anything since this morning I'd bet."

"Yeah. What were you guys planning on having?"

"Pizza," both of them say.

* * *

_Your kiss was better than I'd ever drea__med T-Bone. You're gone now. Why did you leave? I love you. I've got to find you. I have to know... do you love me? _

She gets up, pulling some clothing on, goes to the records archives and starts searching through the sparse records about the SWAT Kats.

_They appeared only five years ago, when Dark Kat tried kidnapping the Mayor and Deputy Mayor._

"Five years," she muses aloud, "For three and a half of them I've been in love with him."

After several hours of exhaustive searching, and pulling records, she gives up.

_I'll never find them at this rate._

She returns to her quarters, tired from the search, and falls asleep. She dreams of being in T-Bone's arms, making love to him.

* * *

"Hey, Chance, I found an apartment we can afford!" Jake says, holding the morning paper. 

"Where is it, and how much?"

"One thousand a month, and it's in your old neighborhood."

"What's the address?"

"161A, Thirtieth street. The Korat Building." Jake replies, dropping the paper in front of the tiger.

"That's only a block from Pop's stand, and two from Dad's apartment."

"Well, if you wanna call, go ahead. I gotta finish taking the tow arm off the truck and start welding the new box bed in."

* * *

Several days later, 

'Commander, Chance Furlong from MegaKat Salvage yard holding on line 2.'

"Commander Feral. What is it, Furlong?"

'Commander, according to our record-keeping, we just finished paying off our debt to the City. We figured we'd call and let you know that have finished, and that we're ready to leave the Salvage yard, as per our agreement with the City.'

"First the SWAT Kats, now this. It's turning into a good week. All right Furlong, as soon as we verify that you have indeed paid off the debt, you will be given a week to pack and leave the Salvage yard."

'We've packed already, although we haven't moved yet. We do have some things to finish up, but we've basically ready to move out.'

"Very well. Someone will be over to check your records over and compare them to ours."

He hangs up the phone, ignoring Chance's muttered thanks. He pages Records. "Longclaw, get someone to the Salvage yard with a copy of our records on Furlong and Clawson's debt. They say they've paid it off."

'Yes Sir.'

* * *

Four hours later, 

Feral picks up the phone, 'Commander, this is Longclaw from records, they have indeed paid off the debt, and in fact, we owe them approximately two-hundred twenty dollars.'

"What!"

'They did say that they are going to forget about it if you don't give them any hassle about moving out.'

"Very well. I won't hassle them unless they aren't out of there by the end of the week."

* * *

A huge truck with a custom box bed pulls up and two toms jump out. The neighborhood kittens watch as they unload the truck, and head up to an apartment, then leave. An hour later they are back, moving furniture. After moving boxes and furniture all day, then lock their truck, and the small one heads up to their new apartment. 

The kittens follow the large tom as he walks down to Pop's stand and buys a 'Kat Kommandos' comic.

"Hey Pop, how ya been?" Chance asks.

"Chance Furlong! Here to pick up a Kat Commandos Comic?"

"You bet."

"Looks like ya got a crowd with ya."

"Huh?" he asks and turns, "Oh. Still sell gum?"

"Sure thing."

"One piece for each of 'em."

"Here ya go," Pop says as Chance pays him.

"One for each of ya," Chance says to the kittens.

As soon as he finishes handing out the gum, he walks another block, to his parent's building, taking the stairs to their floor.

He knocks on the door, and his father, baseball bat in hand, opens it, "We said we ain't... oh, Chance! Come on in. I thought you were those punks again."

"Well, I'm livin' only two blocks away now, Dad. No need t' worry about the punks anymore. I can scare 'em off."

* * *

One week later, 

Callie puts the phone down, a puzzled look on her face. She re-dials the number manually and gets the same message. She picks up her car keys and drives out to the Salvage yard.

She sees gargantuan piles of junk in front of the garage, and the sign that proclaimed 'Jake and Chance's Auto Repair' had been painted over. She sees a massive dump truck dumping salvage on top of the pile. The two toms in it get out and approach her.

"What's a pretty lady doin' out here, Murray?" the large one asks.

"Where's Jake and Chance?" she demands.

"They got done payin' Feral's debt and got booted outta here a week ago." the small tom responds.

"Just great," she gets in her car and starts it. She drives off, thinking, 'They're gone! Where could they be?'

She drives to Enforcer HQ, to speak to Commander Feral.

* * *

Callie walks out of Commander Feral's office on the verge of tears. Commander Feral had no clue as to where the two ex-Enforcers had gone. He was even happy that they had apparently dropped on the face of the planet. She looks up at the sky as she leaves the HQ building. 

"First I lose the SWAT Kats, and now my friends are gone. Guys, where are you?"

Inspirational Music:

Original;

Superman

Five for Fighting -- Bandits

Rewrite;

Spybreak 

Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Mix)

Matrix Soundtrack


	2. Part 2: Rebirth

SWAT Kats' Final Days (rewrite)

Part 2: Rebirth

Legal Disclaimers:

SWAT Kats and all associated personas and places are the property of Hanna/Barbera.

A/N: Here's the part 2 rewrite.

* * *

"Freeze, Security!" the uniformed tabby yells, training his pistol on the Techno-crook. Crackles of electricity cause a pale glow to come from his suit as he fires a bolt at the lone tom. 

"You can't catch Hard Drive with bullets!"

The guard leaps to the side, firing his pistol at Hard Drive, hitting him in the shoulder. The surge-suit absorbs the force of the slug, which falls to the ground. However, the impact sends Hard Drive reeling.

A kick from behind knocks Hard Drive to the ground, and an arm around his neck that wasn't there a minute before chokes off his oxygen supply.

As Hard Drive loses consciousness and slumps to the ground, the tabby walks up.

"Good job bud."

"Couldn't have done it without you, buddy," the smaller one says as he pulls Hard Drive's Surge suit off and tosses it to his partner.

Several minutes later, three armed Enforcers, with Commander Feral following burst in the room and see the two guards.

"You two!"

"Yeah, it's us, Commander. Here's Hard Drive, and his surge suit. They're all yours. Don't let him escape." Chance says.

"You can thank us later," Jake says as Chance tosses the surge-suit at Feral and leaves the room.

"That'll be the day," Feral mutters as the Enforcers cuff Hard Drive and carry him out.

* * *

Later that day, Commander Feral leans back in his chair and massages his forehead as he squeezes his eyes shut.

"It's been a month since the SWAT Kats left," he mutters, "I never realized how much they let us keep the streets safe."

He turns his attention back to the day's reports and rosters. The only bright spot in his month was capturing Hard Drive.

"Now if I could only get rid of the other two Mega-Villains, I could get back to keeping the streets safe. I can't do that with most my Enforcers handling the attacks."

The next report in the pile was Felina's. He holds it and mulls over her mood of late.

"She's not been looking well, and she's been very irritable. I wonder what's going on? Well... the City can spare me a few minutes to talk to my niece."

* * *

_That grin... that handsome grin. _

Felina holds the picture and smiles at him, tracing his features with her claw. She hears the door open and the distinguishable footsteps of her Uncle walking toward her.

Her smile disappears as she puts the picture in the folder and closes it.

"Felina, why are you looking at those, and what for?" he demands.

She looks down and asks, "Have you ever been in love, Uncle?"

The question takes him by suprise, and he sits down. He replies in a soft voice, "Yes. Your mother."

"What?" she gasps, she looks at him in shock as he responds, "My heart broke when she married your father, kitten. When she died in that car accident, so did my heart. All I have left is my job."

He reaches up and caresses her cheek, then runs his fingers through her hair. "You look just like her, you know that don't you? You even have her hair."

She stares him in the face, speechless.

A sad smile crosses his face, "You're the closest I have to a daughter."

She looks away.

"Which one? T-Bone?" he asks.

Her gaze locks on his face again as she nods.

He straightens up and stands. The openly displayed emotion disappears, replaced by his permanent scowl.

"Lieutenant, I'm assigning you to find their identities and track them down. I don't care who they are. I'm offering them amnesty, and a job. As what, that depends. Probably as SWAT Kats."

He reaches down and closes the folder. "First thing you will do is report to the Mess Hall and get some food. I want you to eat until you can't move, then go to your quarters and sleep."

"Uncle, I haven't..."

"If you have trouble getting to sleep, I'll have Dr. Konway give you something that will help you sleep. Those are my direct orders, Lieutenant, I expect you to obey them. You can start your new assignment tomorrow."

"Yes sir," she says as she stands and leaves the room.

He puts the folder away for her. "I don't want those hotshots here, but I can keep a leash on them if I know who they are. I hate to admit it, but this City needs them. She needs them, too."

* * *

"No, get back!" the petite blond she-kat backs away from the thugs. She runs into the wall, and an expression of terror crosses her face.

"Such a pretty little thing, and all alone. Tsk tsk tsk. You should be indoors." the lead thug says. Scattered laughter come from his four followers.

She screams and slides down the wall to the ground as they reach for her.

A huge uniformed tiger stands up from knockinga thug over. He grabs two andthumps their heads together, dropping them, then punches the fourth. The kat smacks into the brick wall, cracking it, and slumps to the ground next to her, blood running from his muzzle.

The lead thug swings his bat at the assailant, who grabs it and rips it out of his grasp.

In a cool, casual manner, he snaps it as if it were a twig and tosses the pieces away, a mocking grin on his face.

"Oops, sorry, did I break that?" the tiger rumbles.

A thug gets up and tries to sneak up on the tiger from behind. A copper and grey colored streak smashes into him, knocking him against a wall. The second tom rolls to to his feet and takes a fighting stance. The other three thugs get up and run away.

"Thanks for the backup, bud," the large one says.

"No problemo, buddy, anytime," the small one responds, watching the fourth thug get up and stagger off.

After a second, seeing that he was alone, the lead thug runs away from the two toms.

"You ok, miss?" the large tom asks. He walks up to her and offers his hand.

"Y--yeah." she responds, still trembling. "How did you do that?"

"Name's Chance. I was an Enforcer. So was Jake. Now we work security at Pumadyne."

"Aww, crud! I'll have to patch this jacket. I ripped the sleeve." Jake grumbles, looking at a small rip in the arm of his jacket.

She looks over the uniformed duo, and tries to regulate her breathing as she recognizes both of them.

_Could they be? They match. Oh my God, they are... they **are**..._

She takes the offered hand.

"Where do ya live, miss?" the tiger asks.

"Two blocks down."

"You feel safe walking?"

She shakes her head.

"Mind if we take ya?"

"That... would be nice." she says.

"Hop in," Chance says as he walks up to a large truck. He gets in, Jake gets in the middle, and she gets in on the passenger side, "Don't forget to buckle up."

* * *

Felina picks at the food in front of her.

_I can't stop thinking about you. I can't sleep or eat. The only thing that made it tolerable before was knowing I would see you again. But now..._

She feels someone standing behind her.

"Yes, uncle?" she asks.

"Just making sure you follow orders."

"Yes sir," she says, picking the fork up and spearing a piece of roast potato.

* * *

"Thank you," she says after a minute, "I thought I would be..."

"That's ok, miss," Chance says as he shifts gears.

"Tina." she says.

"Ok, Tina."

"Ever since the SWAT Kats disappeared, Enforcers only patrol the area once a day, instead of every half-hour."

"Yeah. I've noticed. The SWAT Kats did alot of good for this City, and now that... they're gone..." Chance says.

"Yeah. Everyone took them for granted."

"Exactly," he says. The sad look in his eyes was unmistakable, even though his face was impassive.

"This City needs them." she says.

"We had our reasons," Chance murmurs to himself, and to his partner.

"What was that?" she asks.

He snaps out of his trance, "Huh?"

"You said something about reasons," she asks.

"He said, 'I'm sure they had reasons'," Jake responds.

"Here's the building," she says. Chance pulls over and she steps out.

She looks back in at him before closing the door, "Thanks for everything. Bye, Chance. Bye Jake."

"Bye, Tina," they chorus.

As they drive off, Chance says, "Jake, you've noticed that the crime rate has increased."

"I know, but we can't really do anything about it. I mean... we don't have any means of doing anything, and certainly not without the jet."

"Lets get our G-Suits and confront Feral with who we are. The most he can do is put us in prison."

"Chance, that's not..."

"Look, this town needs the SWAT Kats. We_are_ the SWAT Kats. Besides, I'm not enjoying my retirement. I really do miss the action."

"All right, Chance. I just hope we don't end up regretting this." Jake replies. He pauses before saying, "I haven't exactly been enjoying myself this last month either."

"We'll go see Feral first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

Felina drags out of bed, groggy from overeating and the sleeping pill that Dr. Konway had given her.

The feel of hot water relaxes her in the shower, and she stays in until the water starts running cold. She steps out and towels off, then pulls on a clean uniform. After brushing her hair back and taking care of general hygiene, she walks out of her quarters and heads for the Mess Hall.

She downs one cup of coffee straight black, and pours a second. A couple of the Black Squad who were just coming off duty come into Mess and spot her.

Colonel Alex 'Smokey' Johnson, the tiger striped tom-kat in charge of the Black Squad, points out Felina to his grey-furred partner, Major Lowell 'Stripes' Hurst.

"Hey, Lieutenant c'mere!" Stripes shouts across the room. Half the room looks at them so he yells, "Hey TomKat!"

"Major, Colonel, haven't seen you two in a while," she responds, gulping the coffee from a paper cup as she walks up.

"Yeah we all kinda noticed. We never see ya up in Black land anymore," Smokey replies.

"I've been... busy."

"Ain't we all, now the SWAT Kats are gone. Pardon my sayin' so, but you look like crap," Stripes says.

"I haven't been able to eat or sleep lately, that's all."

"Ya can't live on coffee alone." Smokey chides.

"You finally made the top three on the Chart," Stripes says.

"Lemme guess, right behind Furlong and Clawson?" she responds, remembering when she had first met them a month ago.

"Yep. Those two are the benchmark for all of us. I don't think the SWAT Kats coulda outflown and outgunned those two," Stripes declares.

"So you guys say every week when you update the board. 'No one can fly like Maniac, and Maverick could hit the edge of a razor... from... a mile away...'" she pauses, thinking, ''Edge of a Razor.'' She smiles broadly as she purrs, "Thanks Stripes. You might have just made my new assignment easier."

"You're welcome," Stripes responds as his partner asks, "Thanks for what?"

"Nothing, Smokey." Felina says as she gets up. She kisses one and then the other on their cheeks before dashing out of the Mess Hall.

She hears Stripes say to Smokey, "What a gal."

She runs into the Personnel office and skids to a halt in front of the copper colored sergeant at the desk. He takes off his wire-rim glasses and looks at her with amber eyes.

"Yes, Lieutenant, is there anything I help you with?"

Panting, she declares, "I need the files on Jacob Clawson and Chance Furlong."

"Sure thing, ahh. Damn leg." the older tom says as he gets up from his desk.

He hunts around the C's in his files, then pulls one out, "Clawson, Jacob N. Here ya go."

"Thanks," she says, as she takes the file.

"The other was who, Furlong?" he turns and closes the C's, and walks over to the filing cabinet marked F.

"Yeah."

"All right. If I may ask, what do you need these files for?" he says as he pages through the F's.

"Uncle has me on a special assignment."

"Uncle would be who?"

"Commander..."

"Feral, then. You must be the Felina I've had to update the file on so much. Pleasure to meet you in person. Your ID Photo doesn't do you justice, my dear," he says as he hands her a file labelled, 'Furlong, Chancellor E.'

A slight grin shows at the compliment.

A father-like smile spreads across his face as he says, "Make sure you don't damage anything in those folders. Good luck on your assignment."

"Thanks, Sergeant..."

"Clawson. Jacob's my son."

"How come you're still a Sergeant, and he made it to Lieutenant?"

"I got injured by thugs when I was on patrol one night. I was deemed unfit for active duty, and got this desk job. Unfortunately, promotions don't often come for this job," he shrugs, and she notices his limp for the first time as he walks back to his desk.

"I'm sorry," she say, clutching the folders to her chest.

"Don't be. Good luck on your assignment," he says as he sits back down, puts his glasses on and starts typing again.

* * *

"Ready?"

"No."

"C'mon, Jake."

"I'm not ready, but I'm going anyway. I wonder how dad is?"

"You still ain't called him?"

"You know we haven't had alot of time to do anything, not with adjusting to graveyard shift."

"Yeah, you're right. Now all we need to do is get in Enforcer HQ without

being seen."

"Easy enough. The sewers. You remember the one room in the sub-basement that was part of a sewer passage?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Chance grimaces. He pulls a pair of overalls on top of the G-suit, then rummages around for some boots. He remembers back to the time he had been lost in the sub-levels, and Jake had to rescue him.

Jake had found him screaming, attached by his claws to the wall in a room filled with sewer roaches. It still made his fur crawl remembering the size of some of them.

"Well, we can enter there, and use the stairs." Jake replies, pulling his boots on.

"I hardly wait," Chance says sarcastically.

"You wanna climb on top of MegaKat tower and hang-glide to HQ using the Deltapacks?"

"No," Chance replies, "Too many guards. All right, all right, we'll take the sewers."

They both grab backpacks that have the obvious SWAT Kat gear, and leave their apartment.

She dashes into the Records room and drops the files on the desk she had been working at, then runs over and grabs the SWAT Kats files, and her notepad. She runs back to her desk and like a kitten at Christmas, opens the files and starts comparing Furlong and Clawson to the SWAT Kats.

She compares Chance's picture to T-Bone's and she stops. Smiling, she says, "I finally gotcha." She sighs, then clears her thoughts as she begins comparing various pictures and pieces of information.

After a while, she sits back, rubbing her eyes as she grins.

"No doubt in my mind. I have you now."

She gathers the folders together, and heads back to Personnel.

"Sergeant Clawson, what do you know about the SWAT Kats?"

"Nothing much. You probably know more than I," he says while typing.

"I think you know more than you let on. How could you not know your son is Razor?"

He stops and looks up at her over his glasses, and sighs before he replies, "You caught me. I know Jake is Razor. He told me after they flew the first time."

"I have to tell Uncle now, not that he'll like it, but it seems that we'll make him a SWAT Kat again, or put him back on the force, if we can find him. You wouldn't know where he is would you?"

"Nope. I haven't heard from that rascal since last month."

"So, you haven't been able to contact him? I do know he works at Pumadyne for Security."

"No. Are you done with the files?" he replies.

"I have to show Uncle, but they'll be back, hopefully within an hour."

"All right. See you soon."

* * *

Two blocks away from Enforcer HQ, no one notices a commercial truck park, and two inspectors climb out, then go over to a kathole, and climb down.

After trudging through the sewers for a while, they find the fenced off area. Jake opens his backpack and puts on his glovatrix, activating the buzzsaw.

He cuts through the latch and the fence door swings open. They enter, and close it again. Jake activates the welder on his glovatrix and welds what he cut back together.

Chance takes off his slime-covered boots and tosses them in the corner, then drops his coveralls next to them. Jake follows suit, and after they both don their remaining SWAT Kat gear, the place the backpacks with the coveralls.

They peek out of the room and make their way to the stairway. They make their way nine stories to the administrative floor.

* * *

Callie picks up the phone as it rings, "Deputy Mayor's office."

"Ms. Briggs, I need to talk to you immediately. Could you come to my office?"

"Why Commander?"

"I won't say much here, but I'm working on finding the SWAT Kats."

"Again, why?"

"I won't say anything further. Just come to my office," she hears him hang up his phone.

"Someone should teach him phone manners."

She grabs her purse and leaves a note for the Mayor that she'll be out for an unknown amount of time.

* * *

They hear voices as they approach Feral's office. Razor grits his teeth and starts looking nervous as they recognize Callie's voice.

They hear the sound of a kat running in their direction, and turn to see Felina skid around a corner and stop dead.

Without a further thought, she drops the folders she had been carrying, and lunges at T-Bone, gasping out, "Chance!"

Feral and Callie look at the doorway upon hearing Felina's muted voice.

T-Bone finds Felina kissing him, her body pressed against his. After a moment, she pulls away and punches him in the face.

The blow knocks him off his feet, into plain sight of Feral and Callie. After rubbing his chin he asks, "What was that for?"

She grabs him by the chest of his G-Suit and snarls, "Don't you EVER leave me again, Furlong, or so help me, I'll kill you, do you hear me?"

Before he can respond, she kisses him again, pinning him to the ground.

Razor walks in the office, taking off his helmet and glovatrix.

"What is all this about?" Feral demands.

T-Bone tries to get Felina off of him, who is holding on to him like she'll never let him go.

Razor pulls off his mask, his eyes and face betraying the sadness he felt.

"I should have figured it was you two." Feral growls before Jake can say anything. "Where did you hide the jet?"

Callie gasps and drops her purse as she recognizes Jake, her face an expression of shock. She sits down, her chest heaving as a roiling mix of emotions run through her.

"Underground Hangar." Jake says, looking at Feral. "Pre-Enforcer MegaWar II base. The only one left in MegaKat City."

He can't bring himself to look at Callie, so he stares at the floor. "The Salvage Yard was built on top of it."

Callie stands, looking at Feral.

"I have to go." she whispers, the tears starting to form in her eyes. A sob escapes her as she grabs her purse, "I can't stay."

"Felina, let him up." Feral orders. "I have a deal for you two. Ms. Briggs, you stay too. I want you to hear this."

Felina lets T-Bone go. He scrabbles away from her and stands up. Keeping a wary eye on her, he backs into Feral's office as she picks up the folders that she had dropped. He pulls off his mask and shoves it into his pocket.

Callie slumps back into the chair. "Your not going to send them to prison, are you?" she asks, her voice betraying her feelings.

"No, I'm not sending them to prison," Feral says, "I'm giving them a job."

Felina, having picked up the folders, walks in and stands next to Chance. She takes his hand and holds it while resting her head on his shoulder. Chance tries to get her off him, but can't, so he stops struggling after a moment.

"Now, SWAT Kats, here's the deal..."

* * *

Chance lies awake in bed, thinking over everything that had happened.

In one day, he had been given his old job back, as an Enforcer, and he was going to be stationed at the Salvage Yard to fly under the identity T-Bone.

The only ones aware of the changes were Callie, Commander Feral, and Felina.

He sighs and tries to relax as more troublesome thoughts enter his mind.

_What about Felina? She says she loves me, but what if she decides otherwise? What would I do then?_

She purrs as she sleeps snuggled against him.

* * *

Callie wanders around her apartment, thinking. She had been doing so for several hours, unable to sleep. Her thoughts were full of confused musings about the SWAT Kats and herself. Her emotions were also a complete mess. One moment she wants to find Jake to kill him, the next she wants to make love to him, and the next she doesn't want anything to do with him, ever.

She finally sat down on the sofa, pulling her legs up to her chest and hugging them, still unable to sleep. After several hours, she gets up, changes into a jogging outfit, and leaves her apartment.

* * *

Razor sits inside the TurboKat's missile bay, checking over all the systems from a diagnostic port. He hears a door open to the maintenance bay, but pays it no mind, figuring it was just one of the patrolling Enforcers. He hears footsteps approach, and the soft sound of someone touching and running their hand along part of the TurboKat. He ignores it, trying to make out some of the figures that are appearing on the screen of his diagnostic tool.

A feminine sigh draws his attention and he hears a soft, "Why'd did I never see it before? They were in front of me the whole time."

He shakes his head as he recognizes the voice and begins to shut down the diagnostic.

A shadow passes by the opening of the missile bay, and he hears her ducking under the TurboKat to get a look in.

"Oh," he hears, as Callie sticks her head in the missile bay, "I didn't know you... were here."

"Yeah. I'm just running some diagnostics. I'm about to go though. I'm almost done." He glances up, then concentrates on the glowing LCD on his diag tool. He disconnects it from the port, then shuts down the computer from a small switch in the compartment, packs the tool in his bag, then shoulders it as he tries to leave.

"You don't have to leave just because I'm here, Razor, Jake... whoever you want to be called. I'd... rather have someone here with me."

"No offense, but I'm tired, and I want to get some sleep. Maybe some other time," he says as he walks away from the jet, "Turn off the lights when you leave, Ms. Briggs."

She looks at his back as he walks away from the TurboKat and her, her emotions and thoughts confused. A single clear idea emerges from her mind's turmoil.

"Jake!" she yells, running after him. She catches up to him at the doors, "Why are you running away?"

"'Cause I don't know what to think. Do you really like me, the REAL me, or is it Razor you like? Until I get a definite answer, I just wanna be left alone," he says as he stops and thumbs the switch for the lights in the maintenance bay, then walks out the door, leaving her alone in the darkened bay.

She follows him, "I thought I knew you pretty well, until today. I found out I don't, and I want to fix that."

"Maybe some other time. I'm tired, and I want to go to bed." he replies as he stops at the elevator.

"I only live three blocks away. You could sleep on my sofa."

"No thanks."

"You live where, halfway across the city?"

"I'll take a cab there."

"Look, I remember that talk that day that... that... you guys turned in the TurboKat."

She pauses and takes his hand in hers, "I mean what I said about getting to know you. Even if it's just watching you sleep on my sofa. Even if it's just finding out your annoying little quirks. Please, I want to spend time with you just for that. I want to get to know the kat behind Razor's mask, not Razor. Please, just tonight, on my sofa?"

He stops, his look turning thoughtful. Finally he nods, saying, "Just for tonight, on your sofa, under one condition."

"Yes?"

"No physical contact. No kissing, no hugging, holding, touching."

"Ok," she says, her expression crestfallen, "I agree."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Can you walk three blocks?" she says, walking into the elevator as the doors open.

"Yeah. I've fought criminals on less sleep," he replies as he follows her into the elevator.

On their way to her apartment, she walks next to him, glancing furtively at him every few seconds. She was so tempted to seduce him... make love to him. She clasps her hands together, and resists the physical urges. It didn't, however, stop her from imagining their love-making as they walk.

When they arrive, she unlocks her apartment and walks in.

He places his things by the door and pulls off his boots as she walks into the kitchen. He closes the door and lays down on the sofa. He falls asleep just as his head hits the armrest.

She comes out of the kitchenette, and sees that he had already fallen asleep. She walks over and sits down next to him, watching him, leaving the food and drink on the table. She spends the night there, watching him sleep.

* * *

He wakes up to find Callie asleep on the floor next to the sofa, laying on the floor in her sweat suit. Without a noise, he gets up and with extreme care, picks her up and sets her down on the sofa.

He couldn't keep from gently brushing a lock of hair from her face, nor could he resist a soft kiss. She stirs and smiles as he pulls his head away and stands up to leave.

He looks around for and finds a blank sheet of paper. He writes a note for her, thanking her for letting him sleep on her sofa, and that he was going back to Enforcer HQ to finish work on the TurboKat.

He places the note on the table, then walks back over and kisses her again. He turns and leaves her there, hoping to get back to Enforcer HQ and continue working on the TurboKat.

"Where've you been, buddy?" T-Bone asks as he finishes climbing down off the jet, "We've got to pack and move our stuff back... you know where."

"I needed a break from working, and Callie offered her sofa. She only lives three blocks away."

"You get it on?"

"No way! I'm not you, ya fuzzy lugnut!"

"Well, I didn't wanna either, but she gave me no choice. I just don't know how long this'll last, bud. If she decides she doesn't love me anymore, we have a one-way ticket to Alkatraz, of that I'm sure."

"There'd be nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."

"I know. I just hope that she truly does love me, 'cause I think she's the only real reason we're not in prison right now."

Razor checks over the jet and says, "Looks like you've taken care of everything I didn't get to. Let's go then."

* * *

As they drive into the Salvage yard with the first load of their belongings, they see the mounds of salvage strewn all over the place.

"Looks like Burke and Murray really took care of the place." Chance growls, now dressed in Enforcer Mechanic overalls. He smooths out the creases in it, which had started to annoy him.

"There's the two jerks now," Jake mutters, adjusting his overalls, too.

"Hey Burke, get a load of these two!"

"Feral said youse two is gonna be back here. Whaddya break now?" Burke taunts.

"Your neck, if ya don't shut up, fuzzball," Chance snaps at the much larger tom.

"Wanna make me? Maybe I can make you fly again!" Burke replies as he raises his fists.

"Maybe not!" Chance yells as Burke takes a swipe.

Chance ducks and tackles the large tom, knocking him flat on his tail, causing nice imprint of Burke's back in the dirt. Murray rushes Jake, who grabs and hurls him at Burke, who is trying to stand up. The impact sends both toms sprawling.

They walk over to them and Chance snaps, "Our business at this salvage yard is between us and Feral. We are Enforcers again, even though we don't fly. This place is also Enforcer property, as of the new agreement that you signed yesterday. Now leave before we arrest you for assaulting Enforcer officers."

* * *

That night, for the last time they'd sleep there, Jake and Chance collapse in their beds in their apartment.

It had been a week, and they had cleared the majority of the salvage in front of the garage, cleared out the basement and brought the hangar back to operating status, even though they hadn't brought the TurboKat back to it yet.

Both toms dreaded resuming the mechanic/SWAT Kat double life they had led for so many years, however excited they were about flying again. They were relieved to an extent that they wouldn't have to hide from Feral anymore, even though Chance was understandably nervous about the arrangements. Jake was too, but not as much as Chance.

* * *

The blare of the alarm klaxon gets their attention, and they drop their tools as they run over to a panel. Chance slaps the button, and hears Feral's voice.

"You two get in the air now. The MetalliKats have raided the mint and wiped the floor with my Enforcers. Take them out."

"On our way, Commander," Chance says as they leap down the access hatch into the Hangar.

* * *

A few minutes later,

"MetalliKat Express sighted, T-Bone, locking scramblers." Razor says as the targeting system predicts optimal flight paths, "Locked and away!"

The MetalliKat Express shuts down and skids on the asphalt as the missiles hit. T-Bone pulls back on the stick, making the jet perform a tight loop. Razor grits his teeth and fights unconsciousness.

T-Bone levels the jet and Razor's finger's fly over his console.

"Now to put them in the scrapyard, permanently! Baby-boomers away!" Razor says as the two missiles launch.

The missiles impact in a massive explosion. A second later, secondary explosions from the fuel and weapons aboard the MetalliKat Express leave debris scattered for hundreds of yards in each direction.

T-Bone sights a Kat's Eye News chopper approaching them, and he places the jet in hover mode.

* * *

In the darkness, a glowing red pair of eyes watches a small staticy screen.

'This is Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News. We're here in the air with the SWAT Kats, who have returned to the sky after a month-long hiatus.'

'That's right, Ann, we're back,' the burly tabby in the pilot's seat says, 'We still must fly.'

His partner retorts, 'Remind us never to take a vacation again.'

'So you spent some time off?'

'Yeah, but keep this in mind, we'll stop flying, we'll stop protecting this city when, and only when... we die,' the pilot says before activating the canopy and flying off.

"And you will die, SWAT Kats," the deep voice belonging to the red eyes rumbles. He stands, hitting a switch, then using his cane for support, he walks into a hangar, looking at his new ship, "You have not seen the last of me, SWAT Kats."

The end...

Notes:

They rarely show the Black helmeted Enforcers. I personally think that they(Black-helmet Squadron) are the Elite of MegaKat City's Enforcers. They included Jake and Chance('Wrath of Dark Kat' flashback), and of course, Felina(season 2). All other Enforcers, even Feral, had a grey helmet with the MegaKat Enforcer Logo on it.

Inspirational Music:

Original;

Can't remember...

Rewrite:

What Can I Do(Tin Tin Out Remix)

The Corrs -- Best of The Corrs


	3. Part 3: Loss

The SWAT Kats' Final Days, Part 3: Losses

Disclaimers: SWAT Kats, MegaKat City, and all associated personas and locations are the property of Hanna/Barbera.

A/N: I've added back in a few scenes that were deleted from the original because I couldn't make them work back then. I think they work well now.

* * *

A few days later:

"What is this nut doing?" T-Bone asks as the now damaged unidentified craft turns and heads straight at them.

"I don't know, but he's armed his missiles," Razor replies, his hands flitting over his console.

"No kidding. Oh, crud!" T-Bone cries as the ship suddenly accelerates at them.

"We gotta eject, T..." Razor yells, but is cut off by the impact.

The twisting flaming wreckage of the TurboKat and the other jet explode, then careens to the top of a small skyscraper, strewing debris over half a dozen city blocks.

Commander Feral's face turns ashen as he sees the explosion. He sits down at his desk to prepare a press release.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Felina screams in an angry sorrow as she sees the larger jet tear apart the TurboKat and both jets explode. Had it not been for her co-pilot, her Chopper would have crashed.

Callie stares at the firestorm out of her office window, transfixed, tears staring to form in her eyes. She drops to her knees, sobbing.

"This is Ann Gora," the brown-haired reporter says, her face showing her horrified disbelief, "Kat's Eye news. What we just saw may very well be the death of the SWAT Kats..."

* * *

"Hey, here's another one!" a rescue worker calls as he pushes on the huge piece of metal. Several other workers run over and manage to push the jet's nosecone off the unlucky kat.

"Damn. That's the sixth homeless we've found in this alley. When those jets exploded, the wreckage really did a number to the poor bastards who lived here."

"This one's in real bad shape, but at least he's alive. Most his fur and clothes got burned off, and he's lost his leg for sure."

"If he survives, it'll be a miracle," the EMT says, checking the tom's pulse, "This guy's almost dead. Help me get him to the ambulance."

* * *

"Ohh, crud," he groans as he unstraps his harness and pushes the ejektor seat off of him. He stands, looking around the pitch-black alley. He remembered the other jet coming at them as if to ram, and he rightfully guessed that he had been knocked out by the impact before the auto-ejection system had activated.

He presses a button on his glovatrix and tries to track his partner's glovatrix, but to no avail. He figured that his was damaged, and he had to start searching for his partner before anyone else found him. He pried off the cover and inspected the internals of his glovatrix. It seemed undamaged. He started to despair, knowing that it was his partner's glovatrix that was damaged, or worse, destroyed. If it was the latter, the odds were good that his partner had died.

He throws his ejektor seat into the nearest dumpster, and his helmet too. He takes off his mask and pockets it, then his G-Suit follows the helmet. He stumbles out of the alley in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, and spots a TV store. On it was the spectacular footage of the TurboKat's demise, and the reporter saying that more than fifty pedestrians and homeless Kats had been killed and injured. The reporter also mentioned that Dark Kat's corpse had been found in the wreckage as well, but neither SWAT Kat had been found.

After a several day long failed attempt to search the explosion debris area, he walks to Enforcer HQ.

He had found out that everyone thought that the SWAT Kats had died, and what Feral had done to cover up the SWAT Kats' identities was to erase all of their records after their stint at the Pumadyne. He wanted to see Feral before doing anything else.

He walks into Feral's office while the Commander was out and sits down, waiting for the huge tom to arrive. He falls asleep in the chair...

* * *

...And wakes to see Callie staring at him with sad eyes. He sits up and recognizes the layout of standard quarters.

He cringes at the sight of her, fear and sadness playing across his face as he backs into the wall by the bunk. She stands up and stretches. Feral sits at the nearby table doing paperwork, and upon hearing Jake and Callie moving, looks up.

"You're finally awake, Clawson," he says, his voice level and even, "You've been asleep for a day and a half. Ms. Briggs has barely left your side in that time."

"T-Bone would have made contact by now if he were alive. I can't stay here. Commander, I'm asking you to arrest me. I want to..." Jake gets interupted.

"Jake!" Callie gasps.

"No, Clawson. That is unacceptable," Feral says, locking eyes with Jake.

"Commander, I can't fly anymore. Not without T-Bone," Jake shakes his head, keeping his eyes locked with Feral.

"You will stay at the Salvage Yard, honoring our contract, Clawson. If Furlong does not contact us within a month, we will update his record as deceased, and you will be freed from the Salvage Yard," Feral narrows his eyes and lowers his voice to a dangerous purr.

"Commander, I will not fly. Unless Chance is found alive, Razor died in that explosion," Jake says, before standing and stalking out.

"Jake!" Callie yells as she rushes after him.

"Please, Ms. Briggs, go away. I need to be alone for a while." Jake says while trudging along the hallway.

"Jake, I love you. I'm still here for you."

"I can't accept your love. I don't share your feelings."

"Please, I know you must feel horrible, but..."

"Dammit, Callie, I've probably lost my best friend, the only tom I could call my BROTHER. We both knew you liked me more than him, and that Felina liked him, but he loved you. He. Loved. _You_. The only way he knew to get his feelings across was flirting. He didn't love Felina, he only liked her. I didn't love Felina either. And... I can't love you. Please, just... leave me alone."

Callie stands there, her mouth open, her face wearing an expression of angry shock. Jake turns away from her, hanging his head and continues to plod down the hallway, until he reaches the elevator. He presses the button, and after a moment, he looks down the hallway at her, a mournful expression on his face.

The elevator door opens and he steps in.

She sobs as the doors close. Feral walks out of the quarters after her and places his hand on her shoulder.

* * *

The elevator stops, and Jake gets out. He turns down the hallway and walks to Personnel. He walks in the door, and his father looks up, suprised.

"Jacob!"

"Hi dad," Jake says.

Sergeant Clawson stands and hobbles over to his son, and bear-hugs him.

"Dad, if Chance doesn't show up in a month, I'm leaving MegaKat City."

"What about the Deputy Mayor? And what should I tell your mother?"

"I'm leaving everything, dad. I'll keep in touch, when I can, but I'm not... I can't take Callie with me. I can't return her love and affection."

"You mean won't. You forget, Jacob, I am your father. I know you too well," the elder Clawson wags his finger in his son's face.

"I know, dad, I know."

"Don't push her away, Jake. I know she really does love you, and besides, I want grandkittens to dandle on my good knee."

"I'll keep it in mind, dad. Tell mom I love her."

"I will, Jacob. Goodbye."

"Bye dad."

* * *

Later that day:

"You wanted to see me, Uncle?" the tall she-kat says, her face ashen and gaunt, her eyes red and puffy, and her fur unkempt.

"Yes. I'm giving you two weeks leave, and this Cashier's Check for ten thousand dollars. You are going to vacation, then you are being transferred immediately to New Cymric. Don't return to MegaKat City, go straight to New Cymric. Your belongings will be there, waiting for you."

"Uncle, that's half-way across..."

"Don't argue with me, kitten. You need to be away from here for a while, until you've conquered your grief. When that's happened, I'll have you transferred back," he says, his tone indicating the conversation was over.

"Uncle..." she hisses.

"Dismissed Lieutenant," he snarls.

* * *

Two months later:

She forces herself to stand up from the toilet. The nausea passes, and she flushes the toilet, then goes to her kitchenette to make something that wouldn't upset her stomach. She again wonders if she was sick, so she decides to use one of her sick days, and sees the doctor on duty.

"Well, hello, Lieutenant Feral, how are you feeling?" the doctor says as she enters his office.

"Nauseous. Every morning for the last few weeks I've been puking my breakfast."

"Hmm, lets take a look at you."

He places an electronic thermometer in her mouth, and measures her pulse, then takes her blood pressure after looking at the thermometer. "Slightly elevated temp, heart rate is above average, BP is elevated. Hmm. I'll have to run a test for sure, Lieutenant, but when was your last period?"

She starts to think, and says, "A while ago. In fact, I was still in MegaKat City. Just over two months." she pauses, and her face expresses shock, "I'm not..."

"Pregnant? Most likely. I can run a test on a urine sample." he says, and walks over to get a test cup. He gives it to her and says, "If you would, Lieutenant, the bathroom's over there."

* * *

"Well, Mr. Clawson, We've reviewed your resume, and we must admit, we're quite impressed. Could you tell me, however, what brings you half-way acros the country to NCA? Why didn't you put in at Pumadyne?"

"I didn't want to develop new weapons. I want to help Katkind. An old friend, Professor Isaac Hackle, worked at Pumadyne. He told me that all they ever do is military research. Besides, I worked Security there while I was getting my degree. Every other week some megalo starts some scheme or another. It got tiresome, wondering if I'd be the next to die in one of their attacks."

"So that's why you came here?"

"Yes. Like I said, I don't want to make weapons, and I'm tired of megalomaniacs. The risk factor here is much lower."

"We do have a lab assistant opening in one of our medical technology programs."

"That would be almost ideal."

"I'll introduce you to that team leader, Dr. Philip Glass."

"So, I have the job?"

"That's up to Phil. It's his team, although, most applicants don't even get this far."

Jake nods and follows his interviewer out of the office.

* * *

Six months later;

'Mr. Clawson, you have a call on line three, Mr. Clawson, line three.' a female voice pages him in the lab he was working in.

Jake walks over the phone at the entrance to the lab and picks up the receiver, pressing the button.

"Hello, Clawson speaking."

'Jake? Hi, it's Callie.'

"Callie," he snarls, "How did you find me?"

'I had a P.I. keep tabs on you. I'm sorry, Jake, but I still love you. I'm going to be moving there when my term is up next January. I can't live being away from you."

"Callie, I can't love you. Don't call here again," he says, then hangs up the receiver. He walks back, shaking his head.

One of his team-mates asks, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing. Just an old girlfriend. I've asked her not to call here again. Now, where was I?"

"Umm, potential actuator systems for this new prosthetic limb. We've covered eletric motors, miniature hydraulics..."

"Oh, yes. My submission is this."

"And what is it?" one of the other assistants asks.

"This material, a myo-polymer plastic, contracts like a muscle when exposed to an electrical current."

"Where did you get this?" Dr. Glass asks, "I've never seen anything like it!"

"I... well, I was trying to make a new form of plastic explosive when I was in college, as an experiment, but I came up with this instead. I was suprised that it contracted and expanded when exposed to electricity."

* * *

That night, as he prepares to leave the building, he hears his name and turns to see a short blonde running toward him.

"Hey, Jake, what're you doing here?"

"Where do I know you from?"

"You and Chance saved my life in MegaKat City. You were a Security Guard."

"Oh... what's your name..."

"Tina."

"Tina. Whaddya doing here?"

"I asked you first. I thought you were Security."

"Well, I just recently finished my Bachelor's in General Engineering, and two Associate's in Chemistry and Material physics. I've always wanted to do R&D."

"Oh. I see. Well, how's Chance?"

"He's... ok. Still probably working Security at Pumadyne."

"Well, ok," she says, a suspicious look on her face, "I just graduated and moved out here. Dr. Glass just hired me on his Prosthetic Team."

"Well, we'll be seeing a lot of each other then. I'm on that team."

"Bye Jake."

* * *

A day later;

"Hey Jake," Tina says as they walk out of the lab, "How're you today?"

"I'm ok."

"I was wondering, if... you would like to go out tonight. Dinner and a movie maybe?"

"Sorry, but, no. I've, uh, got a girlfriend," he lies.

"Really," she asks in a disbelieving tone.

"Yeah. She just hasn't move here yet." his mind races to find a candidate, and gets stuck on the previous day's phone call.

"Why?"

"Well, she's waiting for her term of office to expire. The Mayor's gotten a new running partner for this election, so, she's out as of January."

"You mean... Calico Briggs? MegaKat City's Deputy Mayor?"

"The same."

"How'd you hook up with her?"

He looks thoughtful, and decides to tell a half-truth.

"She could tell the story better than I. Well, we first met when I was an Enforcer, and then when we were sent to MegaKat Salvage, she'd come just to get her car fixed by us. She asked me out just before we left there and became Security Guards."

"I knew you were an Enforcer, but, why did you get sent to a junkyard?"

"We were sent to the Salvage yard as punishment. We had to pay off the cost of repairs to the Enforcer Headquarters and the cost of one jet. We finished paying off the debt almost a year ago."

"So, you're that kat?"

"Yeah."

"You sure you're not Razor?"

"Who?"

"The SWAT Kat."

"As far as I know, they both died in that crash... of course, no bodies were found. Maybe they survived."

"They said on the one news broadcast that they'd stop flying when they died."

"So, I guess they died."

"Where's Chance?"

"I left him working Security at Pumadyne. When I first met you, I'd just finished my degrees a couple weeks before. I quit the day after I met you."

"Chance doesn't work there either. I called two days after to thank you again."

"Well, if he's not there, I don't know where he is."

"So, about dinner?"

"I've got a girlfriend. Sorry Tina. There are other nice guys on the team. Dave for instance, or Zach even."

"None of them saved my life," she says, then turns away.

* * *

A year later, in MegaKat City;

He opens his eyes to a bright light, and squints. The first thing he notices was his stomach growling. He sits up and brings his hand to his face, only to stare in shock at it, for most of it except the forefinger and thumb were missing.

He quickly looked at his other hand, and saw that it was intact. However, when he uncovered himself and looked, he was also missing a leg.

'We gotta eject...'

"What?" he asks, looking around.

The voice stayed silent.

"Where are you? Who are you?" he asks, then stops as he realizes he can't remember his own name, "Who am I?"

He sees someone walk in, and asks, "Hey, what's my name? Where am I?"

She looks over at him and gasps, dropping the tray she'd been carrying.

* * *

A few days later:

"John," the doctor says as he enters the tom's room, "How are you today."

"I'm fine Doc. How're you?" he says, turning away from the TV and looking at the doctor.

"Doing good. We have some news for you. New Cymric Advanced is accepting applications for the test of a new prototype prosthetic. It's a leg. Would you want us to put you in for it, so you can walk again?"

"Yeah. I'm goin' crazy in this bed, havin' to be wheeled around where I wanna go." he says before glancing at the screen. He does a double-take upon seeing someone on the screen.

'Thanks, guys.' he hears, and feels her patting his shoulder. He sees her smiling at him, then turns and his memory fades when he saw a non-descript tom dressed in blue and red.

"John." he hears, "John?"

"I know her," he says, pointing to the picture of the blond on the screen, as his vision returns, "I can't remember who she is though."

"That's Deputy Mayor Briggs. Do you remember anything?"

"Only that she said, 'Thanks, guys', and touched my shoulder. T--that's all I can remember."

"'Guys?'"

"I turn and see someone, a tom-kat, but I... don't see him, either. I--I can't see him. I don't know what he looks like."

"OK. I'll update your file then. Back to our original subject, it's a pretty good chance you won't get the leg, as there will likely be other candidates for it."

"Better a slim chance than none," he replies, before looking back at the TV. He turns up the volume, and listens to the reporter asking her as she leave City Hall with several boxes on a hand truck, 'Where are you going to go, Ms. Briggs?'

'I'm sorry, Ann, but I have no comment,' she says as she starts putting the boxes into her car.

'Rumor has it you're leaving MegaKat City,' the reporter asks, 'Is it true?'

'I have no comment.' she repeats as she gets in her car and drives off.

* * *

A couple days later, in New Cymric:

The doorbell rings, and Jake gets up from the chair he'd been dozing in and opens it.

"Hi Jake. Can I come in," Callie asks, dressed in a jogging outfit.

"What're you doing here?"

"I told you I'm moving to town when my term was up. It's January. I just wanted to see you," she says before repeating, "Can I come in?"

"Fine. Sure. Just don't expect much conversation. I'm tired."

"Jake, why? Why are you acting so cold toward me? Do you hate me or something?"

I... don't hate you," he replies, "I just..."

"Then talk to me. Every time I try to tell you how much I love you, you say you don't love me, then you hang up or leave. Why don't you love me?"

"Chance loved you."

"That excuse again? I liked the 'I'd rather you loved me more then Razor' excuse better. Jake, I've loved you for a long time. When I found out you were also Razor, I felt a bit confused, but I still loved you. I love you even today, Jake, but I won't put up with you pushing me away forever."

"You want me to say I love you back, huh? Fine. I love you. Now tell me if I meant that or not."

"Sarcasm aside," she spits, "Deep down, I think you do. But, I won't put up with any more of this. I've wasted enough of my life on a pathetic, worthless, coward of a tomkat. Goodbye, Jacob Clawson."

"Only fitting that I be alone," he says, bowing his head, "Chance is gone. I'm dead inside without my brother. You're right -- I am a coward. I can't even take my own life."

"Jake," she asks, horrified, but he looks up and says, "Callie, it's not a matter of 'I don't love you', it's a matter of 'I can't love you'. I just can't, I feel it would betray Chance's memory. But the feelings are there."

She stares at him, not knowing what to say in response.

"Now you can leave me to my misery," Jake adds as he turns away from her and walks toward his chair. He flops into the recliner, and folds his arms, waiting for her to leave.

A sharp exhale, almost a sob, comes from Callie. She tries to hold back her tears, but one escapes and streaks down her face. "That's the most truthful you've been with me about your feelings yet, Jake."

"Yeah... it is, isn't it? Well, have a good life, Ms. Briggs," he says, "You're the only one of the two of us that's alive inside."

"I'll be searching for someplace else to live tomorrow. May I stay the night on your sofa?"

"My bedroom is at the end of the hallway. I was going to sleep here anyway. I haven't slept in my room in several months," he replies, "I've seen no need to."

Callie walks a few steps down the hallway, then turns and looks at Jake, who sighs and continues to stare at the ceiling. With reluctance, she walks down the hallway and enters the room at the end of it.

She wrinkles her nose at the musty smell of a room that had not been lived in. After turning on the light, she looks around, then pokes her head back into the hallway, muttering, 'He was right about not using his room...'

She clears her throat and yells, "Jake, do you have a fan so I can get this room aired out?"

He groans as he stands and walks to the hall closet. He pulls a box fan out for her, sets it in the doorway, then plugs it in the wall socket.

He stands and ducks under her arm, shuffling back down the hall to his chair.

* * *

The next evening;

"What are you still doing here, Clawson?" he hears as he sits at his desk.

"Oh, Dr. Glass. I, uh, was looking through the potential candidates for the prototype. This one caught my attention for several reasons." he replies, looking up at his supervisor.

"And they are?"

"He's an unidentified amnesiac from my hometown, MegaKat City. That and... the time and place he gained his injuries. He was one of the homeless injured by the wreckage," Jake closes the folder and places it in the middle of the stack.

"I sense there's a story behind that remark?" Dr. Glass asks as Jake stands and stretches.

"You'd never believe it, sir. So, I'm not going to state my final reason why."

"Clawson. Why?" he asks, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder.

Jake hangs his head and replies, "I personally owe him. I'll leave it at that."

He walks to the door of the lab and turns, "Goodnight, Dr. Glass. I'll see you tomorrow." Jake walks out the door, leaving his supervisor wondering exactly what the talented researcher was hiding in his past.

Dr. Glass pulls the folder from the stack and looks at it, scanning the information inside.

* * *

Jake pulls into the driveway and he gets out. As he walks inside, Callie's car pulls up. She steps out, looking exhausted. She walks inside after him, and watches as he flops down into his chair.

"Sorry Jake, I had no luck finding a place today."

She looks at the expression on his face and asks, "Ok, Jake, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"It's not 'nothing'. Something's bothering you. Tell me about it, please?"

She sits on the sofa, removing her shoes and wiggling her toes, then takes off her suit jacket and tie, draping them across the arm of the sofa.

"Nothing." he repeats.

"I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me," she says.

"Have it your way."

"So?"

"There's, uh... We're developing new prosthetics. We've decided that a leg will be our first prototype. I've come up with a new actuator system, and we've been reviewing candidates for testing the prototype. I came across one from MegaKat City." Jake stops, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "He was injured by... by debris from the TurboKat. I owe him. He was crippled by my jet, and it'll be my leg that'll make him walk again. I'm going to push to have him as our test subject."

"Jake, it's not your fault. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I know, but I can't help but think that he'd be walking right now if we hadn't flown that day. A--and Chance would still be alive."

Callie stands, shaking her head. "If you hadn't flown, who knows what might have happened to MegaKat City. Feral and I didn't let the media know something, Jake."

He looks up at her and asks, "What didn't you let the media know?"

"The Enforcers found a thermo-nuclear warhead in the wreckage of Dark Kat's ship. That tom would be dead if you hadn't flown. I don't know what else to say about it, but you saved about a million lives. A million versus the almost fifty who died from the wreckage."

He stares at her, his mouth agape. He stutters, "A--a t h--thermo-nuclear bomb?"

"You saved lives by flying. Please, wake up to reality, Jake. Chance died a hero. You are a hero. You don't owe that tom personally. I understand you feel responsible for his injuries, but you didn't cause them."

He stands and says, his voice thick, "I'm not a hero. I never joined the Enforcers to fly, Callie."

"Why did you join?" she asks as she walks up to him and looks him in the eyes.

"I joined to get in R&D, what I'm doing now. It was a paperwork mistake that landed me in the Flight Corps with an egomaniac pilot. But I grew to love flying. And I started to become friends with my pilot. Then we got kicked out. I saw it as a chance to start my own Research and Development, the products of which were used to help the Enforcers fight the criminals they couldn't handle alone."

She kisses him, pressing her body against his.

"Callie, I can't," he says, trying to pull away from her.

"Jake, you need this," she says, unbuttoning her shirt, "I need you."

His eyes grow wide as she kisses him again, wrapping her arms around him.

He feels guilty as he starts returning her kisses, but the guilt soon disappears as Callie's embrace and kisses become more passionate.

* * *

"Clawson, come to my office. I want to speak with you," Dr. Glass says as he walks into the lab.

Jake nods and follows him down a couple corridors, and they enter a door.

"Now, Clawson, what is the real reason that this one caught your eye?"

"Exactly what I said, sir. Am I in trouble or something?"

"Only if you don't reveal what you're hiding."

"All right then. You want the truth?"

Dr. Glass nods, and Jake says, "I am, or was, the SWAT Kat Razor. The SWAT Kats died that day in the air. I built the TurboKat, and its wreckage injured that tom. I owe him personally. I'll leave it that sir."

"Well I'll be damned. One of the SWAT Kats is working on my research team?"

"I partly lied about the myo-plastic. I didn't come up with it in college, I came up with it almost two years ago, while working on an alternate explosive other than homemade C4 for our baby-boomer missile."

"I have a hard time believing you about the 'SWAT Kat' bit."

"I can verify it, if you can wait an hour or so."

"By all means."

"May I use your phone?"

Jake dials his home phone number, and Callie picks it up.

"Callie, this is Jake. Could you stop by where I work? I want you to meet my boss. Oh, and in my closet, you'll find a box labelled... Razor. Bring it. We'll meet you outside the front gate."

* * *

As Callie walks up to the two toms, Dr. Glass says to her, "Haven't I seen you before?"

"Probably. Up until a few days ago, I was Deputy Mayor of MegaKat City. I brought the box, Jake," she says, handing Jake the box.

"Thanks, Callie," Jake replies, then gives the box to Dr. Glass. "Open it, and ask her anything."

Dr. Glass opens the box, and is, but isn't suprised to find a helmet, Glovatrix, and G-suit, all bearing the red and blue insignia of the SWAT Kats. He glances at Jake before looking at Callie and asking, "Is he really a SWAT Kat?"

Tina looks on from a distance, not hearing anything, but watching. She bows her head and sighs as she recognizes Callie.

"Yes. He was. He gave it up when his partner died in a crash. The wreckage killed many homeless Kats. Only one survivor, and he was in such bad shape that no one could recognize him."

Tina trudges into the complex, not bothering to look at Jake anymore.

Jake responds bitterly, "My fault Chance is dead, my fault this tom's injured. I owe him a new leg, at least. If you're not going to give him the prototype, I'll pay for his leg when it reaches production."

"Well Clawson, you got it then. He'll get the leg. No one must know about this though," he says, gesturing to the box. He turns to Callie, "So, why did you leave MegaKat City?"

"I love him. I had for a long time before I found out he was Razor."

"So you've known him for a while, then."

"Since he was an Enforcer. When he was sent to MegaKat Salvage, and became a mechanic, I'd choose his shop just to see him."

* * *

Six months later;

"We have someone here, Commander. According to his prints, he's an ex-Enforcer named Chance Furlong. We just got his records in today. We'd like if you could come over and see him. It may jog his memory."

"Furlong..." Feral asks in disbelief, "Are you sure?"

"Well, all his remaining fingers are a direct match for the prints in his record. Could you also tell me why it was so hard to access his records?"

"I'll be over in a few hours, and his records are resricted access. How did you actually get them?"

"I had to go to some kats in high places."

"Like who?"

"Generals Korat and Thompson among others. I'll see you, Commander."

A short time later,

"Thank you for stopping by, Commander."

"Well, may I see him?"

"Of course. Follow me," the doctor replies before leading Feral through a set of double-doors and a hallway.

"There he is, Commander," the doctor says as they walk to an observation window. They see the tom in question running at a light pace on a treadmill, various sensors and equipment hooked to his body and a small electronic linkup connected to an open panel on his leg.

"That _is_ Furlong," Feral replies, then his voice drops to a whisper as he muses to himself, "How in the world did he..."

"Commander, this way," the doctor says, holding the door to the workout room open.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

They enter the room and Feral strides up to Chance.

"Furlong," he says as he stops near the tom.

"That's who they say I really am. Just a sec. Whenever they get done testing my prosthetic I'll talk to you."

After a few more minutes, the treadmill powers down and Chance starts walking slower and slower until it stops. A technician detaches all the leads and the linkup to the prosthetic and says, "Well, the leg is performing better than expected. The only flaw is the battery life, but we've got a team working on it. See you next month."

"See ya, Doc."

Feral stands there, his arms crossed, as Chance turns around and smacks square into him.

"Oh, sorry..." Chance says and freezes as he sees the larger tom for the first time. He briefly sees and hears something, and shakes his head, trying to remember.

"Do you know who I am, Furlong?" Feral asks.

"I can't place you, but I... should. I get a negative feeling from you."

"You should know me. I was your superior for five years. You hated my guts every second of it, too."

"Five years?"

"Yes, Lieutenant," Feral says, then looks at his watch, "I'm missing a meeting with the Deputy Mayor. We'll talk later, Furlong."

"See you later, Commander," he replies.

* * *

That night, after seeing Commander Feral, he wonders what it was he had remembered. After laying out his pajamas, he sits down on his bed, taking off his leg and plugging it in the nearby wall socket. He pulls on the pajamas, then pushing all the thoughts from his mind, lies down to sleep.

_He hears a voice call, "T-Bone, we gotta..." as he sees a_

_distorted shape rushing at him..._

_"...get those ejektor seats in. Here, catch!" he turns from the_

_unpainted hulk to see a caramel colored tom in blue overalls_

_tossing a wrench at him. He catches it, then turns around to a_

_large black fightercraft that sat where the partially built_

_jet was the moment before. He turns back around to the tom in the_

_blue overalls to see him wearing a a blue and red flight suit and_

_helmet, a black mask and a fierce grin._

_"C'mon, let's go, the MetalliKats are attacking MegaKat First_

_National!" the small tom yells as he leaps onto the jet and_

_settles into the back seat of the cockpit. "C'mon, T-Bone, don't_

_just stand there! We..."_

_"...need a pilot, buddy!" he hears as he opens his eyes to see_

_the city coming toward them at an incredible rate. He pulls back_

_on the joystick, and the jet levels out. The sky is a maelstrom_

_of energy, and the City seemed to change shape and morph before_

_him._

_"Why didn't you eject?" he hears himself asking._

_"And miss that look on your face? No..."_

_"...problem, buddy." his friend says, dressed in a grey uniform._

_He turns his attention to the blond she-kat and asks, "You ok,_

_miss?"_

_"Yeah," she says, then asks in a quivering voice, "How did you do_

_that?"_

_He replies, "I was an Enforcer. So was Jake. Now we work_

_security at..."_

_"...Pumadyne, again? What is that place, psycho central?"_

_"We've got a bigger problem, T-Bone, the MetalliKats know our_

_secret identities," his partner says as he looks in the mirror at_

_him. Worry is written all over the caramel's face. "Once they_

_spill the beans, it'll be all over."_

_"Then let's..."_

_"...kick some tail!" he yells as he unsheathes his claws and_

_leaps to his feet. He grabs the nearest Dark Ages knight and_

_throws him like he would a baseball. He looks at his partner and_

_stops as he sees his buddy look past from his locker. He looks_

_in that direction as well to see Commander Feral enter the_

_pilot's locker room and stop in front of his locker._

_As he turns back to his own locker, he notices the letters 'T.B.'_

_spraypainted on it's door. He looks back over at his partner and_

_in a single moment he hears and sees his entire life in a_

_cacophony of sound and images._

_He remembers jerking back on the stick, and the other craft_

_impacting the bottom of the TurboKat, tearing it in half. He_

_glances up, seeing flash of flame above him, and the metallic_

_gleam and yellow flame of his partner's ejektor launching. He_

_presses his eject button, but to no avail, so he slaps the_

_release on his harness. He feels the heat from the TurboKat's_

_explosion sear his skin as he sees the side of a building rushes_

_toward him. His vision momentarily blacks as he feels the_

_impact._

_He opens his eyes as the heat subsides and looks down to see a_

_huge chunk of metal buried in his left thigh, and his leg_

_beneath it flopping loosely. He looks upward to see the ground_

_coming at him quickly. The impact knocks him out._

He screams as he sits up straight in his bed and several nurses run into the room. He starts sobbing, "I remember, I remember, I remember..."

* * *

A week later, Chance leaves the institute with a couple hundred in cash, his remaining money. He walks to Enforcer HQ, then stops and checks the power level on the batteries. They were low, so he decides that he would shut off the leg when he got to Commander Feral's office.

He walks into the Commander's office as he and a tomkat he didn't recognize were sitting, discussing the latest Mayoral policy for the City. Feral looks up at the intruder, and recognizes him.

"What are you doing here Furlong?" Feral asks.

Chance replies, "May I sit down? My leg can only go for a few hours before it needs a recharge, and it's been awhile."

"Go ahead. Why are you here?" Feral asks again.

"Thank you Commander," Chance says as he sits down next to the wall and pulls up his pant leg. He pulls a cord from it and plugs it in, then looks up, "I remember. It was the night after you saw me, and it all came back."

"And just who are you?"

Feral replies, "Deputy Mayor Alexander Terida, this is First Lieutenant Chancellor E. Furlong, MegaKat City Enforcers."

"Commander, I need to find Jake," Chance interjects, "He's gotta know I'm ok."

"I've already ordered a search. Last night I received word that he is in New Cymric. I'll warn you, that's where Felina was transferred after your supposed death."

"Thank you, Commander. Could you do me a further favor and not tell anyone, especially Felina, where I'm going? I owe you bigtime as it is, but if you could do that for me, I'd appreciate it."

"I will." Feral replies, then states, "Dismissed Furlong, and good luck. You can finish recharging your leg in the Mess Hall, and I'll get the keys to storage to you. Cl--er, _Jake_... asked that your things be places in storage, and that he'd pick up the bill."

Chance nods as he unplugs his leg and turns it back on. He walks out of the office, and Deputy Mayor Terida says, "What is going on here, Feral? Who is this 'Jake'? I want answers."

"You'll need Alpha-2 clearance at a minimum to access either of their files. I'll say no more."

"I can have those files on my desk tomorrow then. I know General Korat."

"Just try. They are so sensitive that one phone call and they are destroyed." Feral picks up the receiver on his desk and waves it at the Deputy Mayor. "By the time you talk to Korat, there will be no record of him ever existing. Or his partner's files for that matter."

"You wouldn't dare," Terida snarls.

Feral growls in response, "Try me."

* * *

Two weeks later, as he steps off the bus, he's surrounded by Enforcers.

"Chance Furlong," the leader, a lieutenant asks.

"Yes," he replies.

"We're to bring you in for questioning."

"What for?"

The Enforcers glance at each other, then the leader says, "Information regarding the death of the MegaKat City vigilante T-Bone."

"I... see. Well, lead on, officers."

They place his baggage in the trunk of their car, then they all get in. As he gets settled in the back seat between two Enforcers, he asks, "Can I turn off my leg?"

"What?"

"I ain't pulling a gun or anything, ok? I'm just turning off my leg." he says as he pulls his pant leg up. He opens a small panel and pushes the switch to 'off'.

"You wear a prosthetic leg," the lieutenant asks.

"It happens when you have to get yours amputated. This one has a short battery life, and if I sit down for more than five minutes, I usually turn it off."

* * *

Chance sits at the table in the darkened room. He glances up again at the camera in the corner, then shrugs and places his head in his hand.

_Ain't this just great, I've been stuck here for an hour when they say it would take five minutes. Probably just wanna see how I handle the time alone. Well, I'm just gonna be patient. That's somethin' Jake taught me._

A few minutes later, the door handle turns and the door swings open. He sits up as he sees the silouette of someone on the door.

"It's about time someone..." he starts, his growl changing to a gasp as the figure turns the room lights on and he recognizes her, "...Felina?"

"Hello, Chance. I figured you were coming here."

"I asked your Uncle not to tell anyone."

"He didn't, not that it matters. I had a hunch that you were alive when a nationwide records search was ordered for Jake," she says as she walks up to him, and after a very slight hesitation, she kisses him.

He pulls away, "Look, Felina, can't be like it was. I'm not... whole anymore. I never was in love with you, anyway."

"The first reason doen't matter, Chance, and I don't believe the second."

"It matters to me. I only have one leg, half a tail, and it's hard not to notice this," he says, holding up his right hand.

"The second reason is the truth. I was in love with someone else," he says, turning his head away, "Not that she loved me."

"Do you think this matters to me?" she asks, taking his crippled hand in hers. She spreads his out in hers, and says, "It doesn't. I still will love you the same as I did. You haven't changed, just the package you're in. Why love someone who won't love you back? Give your love to someone who _does_ love you."

"When you lose ya memories for two years, you develop a personality that can't be repressed when you regain 'em. I ain't the same Chance you fell in love with. Everything is different about me. Everything."

"Then... I think I should show you. Follow me," she says, walking out the door and stopping just outside it. He turns his leg back on, then stands and walks out to her. She turns and heads down the hallway. She turns down another hallway, then walks into a door.

He hears the cry, "Mommy!" and he steps in to see Felina holding a tiger-striped she-kitten. Two sets of emerald green eyes blink at each other, then the kitten asks, "Dis, Mommy? Dis, Mommy?"

Felina turns and looks at Chance. The kitten cranes her neck to see the stranger as Felina replies, "This is your Daddy, Nadia."

Nadia stares at Chance, then starts flirting with him as only a toddler can.

"I'm a dad," he says in shock, slumping against the nearby wall.

"Yes. She's definitely ours. I see so much of us both in her."

"Nadia? Not the first name I'd choose, but it is pretty."

"It's my mother's name," Felina says.

"I'm a dad. I can't believe it," he says, then almost laughs as he adds, "I owe you child support."

"You can get out of that by moving in with me," she replies as she puts Nadia down. "Please, Chance, I need you, and she needs a father."

"I--I gotta find Jake, Felina. He needs to know I'm ok." He watches as Nadia runs off on all fours and pounces on an older tom-kitten. The tom backs away from the headstrong she-kitten, who crouches and watches him with an intense look.

The tom backs behind a toybox and crouches himself, ready to leap out of the way if she pounces again. Felina replies, "He lives right here in town. I'll drive you there."

Felina walks over and catches her mid-air as she tries to pounce on the tom again, "Time to go, you bundle of energy. We're going to visit someone."

The tom-kitten looks relieved that she was leaving.

* * *

"I'll get it Jake," Callie yells as she rushes to get the doorbell.

She looks through the peephole, and sees a familiar, yet thin and scarred tiger tom and Felina Feral standing there.

She opens the door. The tom takes off his derby and asks, "Uh, hi, Callie. Is, uh, Jake in?"

"He's in his workshop. Who should I say is here," she asks, her curiosity piqued at this tom who referred to her by her nickname.

"Chance," he replies.

"Chance! What happened to you?" she asks, opening the door all the way. A tiger-striped she-kitten looks at her with wide green eyes, and holds tightly onto Felina's hand.

"I survived the accident, barely. I was in a coma for a year, and I just got my memories back last week."

"Come in, make yourselves at home," she says, then turns and runs through the house at a break-neck pace.

She dashes into the garage. "Jake, you'll never believe who showed up at the door. Come, quick!"

"What, what, what?" he asks as she all but drags him into the house and into the living room.

Chance stands as Jake enters, still holding his hat. "Hey Jake, long time no see."

"CHANCE!" Jake cries, and a second later, both toms are crying like kittens as they embrace each other.

After a moment, they separate and Chance asks, "Can I plug my leg in, I think the batteries are probably low."

"Leg?"

"I have a prosthetic. It uses plastic muscles instead of motors. I can't wait 'til they get better batteries for it," Chance says as he sits near a wall socket.

"What's the serial number?" Jake asks, his expression disbelieving.

"NCA8561-..."

"...P001?" Jake finishes.

Chance nods.

"That's my leg! Callie, that's my leg! You're 'John Doe'? The one I thought was injured by... Chance, you're wearing my leg!" Jake says, exitedly.

"All right already, you don't have to repeat it three times."

"Show up at my work tomorrow, and we can try out the upgrades we had slated to ship out to Samuel Manx Institute. The prosthetic is still in testing, so any upgrades at this point are free. I'll call Dr. Glass and let him know that you're here, and not in MegaKat anymore."

"It's good to know you're ok, Jake."

"And you, buddy. So, who's the little one?" Jake says as they all enter the dining room.

"Well, when... the accident happened, Felina musta been pregnant. I just found out myself today."

"Wanna help make dinner, buddy?" Jake asks.

"Like what?" Chance asks.

"Your 'namesake steaks'."

"My special recipe?" Chance replies with a smile.

"I think I have all the ingredients."

"Sure. I'd be glad to."

"While your starting, I'll make that phone call to Dr. Glass," Jake says as he picks up the phone.

FIN

Inspirational music:

Original;

Can't remember

Rewrite;

Bring Me To life

Evanescence -- Fallen

Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Mix)

Matrix Soundtrack


	4. Original Version

The SWAT Kats

Part 1: Final Days

Notes: This is the original version of all three mixed into one file, all spelling, grammatical, -ly words, POV switching, and time travel intact. I've left it so it can be readif anyone wonders what the original reads like. The only difference is, again, my breaks don't work, so I'm borrowing Kris's.

* * *

"Hey, Chance! I've got great news and bad news!" Jake says as he walks into the living room.

"Yeah?" Chance asks while watching ScaredyKat.

"Ok, great news. I've done some figuring, and between all the Enforcer cars we've fixed, if we were applying our standard rate, and our Enforcer salaries going toward paying our debt off, we'll be outta here in only a couple more weeks! We've only got twelve-hundred dollars left, apiece!"

"That is great news! So, what's the bad news?" He doesn't notice Jake tossing a rubber tarantula in front of him as he looks up at Jake.

"We'll probably have to close shop, leave the yard, and never fly as SWAT Kats again. According to the agreement we were forced to sign, Burke and Murray regain total control of the yard when our debt is paid off."

"Crud! Can't we do something about it?" Chance looks depressed.

"Not as far as I can see, buddy."

"May as well start hiding the Hangar's lower levels and leave the top level as this place's basement, just like when we got here." Chance looks back at the TV and notices the spider. "AHHH! Get it away, get it away!" He looks up upon hearing Jake laugh, and realizes that he'd fallen for a prank. He gets up and rushes Jake, who dodges and runs out into the yard, still laughing.

* * *

One week later. 

'Off to work again. Boy am I glad the Mayor comes back tonight, I can't take much more of this without help.' Callie thinks as she gets into her car to head to City Hall. Just as she gets off a side street she slams on the brakes and turns the wheel to avoid the flying craft that had just landed there. Her car skids out of control and hits a streetlight. The last thing she saw were Creeplings coming toward her car.

"It's not like Callie not to pick up her phone, and I've tried all of them, Jake." Chance says as he hangs up the reciever.

"Her office, home, car and cell phones?" Jake asks as he finishes changing the oil in a car.

"Yeah, all four. No answer on any of them. I got her voice-mail on her cell and car phones, her answering machine at home, and the front desk at City Hall said she hadn't arrived yet." Chance sounds worried.

"Well, she does have to fill in for the Mayor while he's away. Maybe the green giant doesn't need it's scheduled maintenance yet, or she's just too busy to pay attention to it for now."

"I dunno. I guess I worry when we can't get up with her."

"If your really that worried, you can track her communicator and check it against the City's Radar map, ok?"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop worryin'."

* * *

Callie wakes to find herself surrounded by Creeplings, and looks up, right at a leering purple face.

"Welcome to my lair, Deputy Mayor. Make yourself at home."

"What do you want, Dark Kat?"

"What else? The SWAT Kats dead, and MegaKat City under my control."

"I'll never sign over MegaKat City to you."

"No, but you can call the SWAT Kats for me." Dark Kat says, matter-of-factly.

"Never." she growls.

"You don't need to, I've got your communication device, Ms. Briggs." Dark Kat gloats as he holds a small triangular device up. He presses the button on it.

The alarm goes off and Jake hurries a customer out of the door as Chance hits the button in the office.

"Yes, Ms. Briggs?"

"Hahahaha... I'm not Ms. Briggs, SWAT Kat."

"Dark Kat! How di..."

"I've kitnapped her, and I want to see you, in person."

They hear Callie yell in the backround, 'Guys, don't!'

"What for?"

"If you don't come, she'll die. If you do come, you'll die. Your choice, SWAT Kat. Call the Enforcers, and she'll die anyway. Come to MegaKat National Park Volcano. You know where..."

'Don't co...' Callie shouts as Dark Kat smashes the communicator, causing static to blare from the speaker.

* * *

The TurboKat blasts out of the launch tunnel, and heads over the City, flying low and fast, toward the National Park. Commander and Felina Feral are patrolling in a Chopper when they see the TurboKat scream past, then they get hit by a sonic boom.

"What fire are they hurrying to get to?" Felina muses as Commander Feral spills his coffee in his lap.

"OW!" he yelps. "Damn SWAT Kats!" Feral yells into the comm as Felina laughs. "After them, Lieutenant! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!"

"Think he got the message, Razor?" T-Bone asks, amid Feral yelling and cursing through the comm.

"I dunno, but he's following..." Razor says as he looks at the outlines on the Dimensional Radar.

* * *

T-Bone sets down, near the tunnel they had made several years before, when it was Feral they had to rescue. They jump out and run into the tunnel, keeping an eye out for traps. Razor activates the mini-Katscanner on his Glovatrix.

"Hahaha, do you see this, Deputy Mayor? The SWAT Kats are about to find out about my new traps."

"No." Callie gasps. "Guys."

"T-Bone, the mini-Katscanner indicates traps ahead. Walls, then ceiling." Razor says, panting as he runs alongside T-Bone.

"Rog, buddy." T-Bone says as he runs along, just ahead of Razor.

He hears Razor use his grapple, and activates his. They retract the grapples just as the walls move inward. T-Bone loses a few hairs from his tail as the walls smash right behind them. They run ahead, at full speed as the ceiling starts dropping. They leap out of the way just in time, and land, rolling to a stop, right at Dark Kat's feet.

In a matter of seconds, dozens of Creeplings swarm them.

They hear Dark Kat's ominous laugh as they start clawing through and throwing Creeplings aside. After a few moments, most of the Creeplings are either injured or dead. Dark Kat takes a few steps over to and picks Callie up by her neck, holding her in the air in front of him.

As the two SWAT Kats get done throwing the last of the creeplings aside, and aim their glovatrixes at him, he snarls, "Stop right there or I'll break her neck, SWAT Kats. I know she's a special friend of yours."

"Ignore me, just get him guys..." Callie whispers, her voice strangled.

Razor and T-Bone look at each other, then slowly take off their glovatrixes.

"Hahaha, you should have listened to her, SWAT Kats." Dark Kat gloats.

"Hold it right there, Dark Kat, you're under arrest!" Feral shouts from another passageway, his and his niece's weapons trained on him.

"Drop your weapons, Commander. I hold all the cards in this game." Dark Kat declares, and evil smile on his face. From a pocket he produces a remote control. "Attack, and this whole cavern will crumble."

Callie unexpectedly unsheaths her claws and swipes the remote out of Dark Kat's paws. She swings her other paw behind her at Dark Kat, who drops her. He backpaws her, knocking her off her feet, unsheathes his claws, which look like six inch daggers, then raises his paw to kill her just as both Ferals fire on him. His corpse lands on the remote, activating it. Explosives attached to each supporting pillar in the cavern go off, and the place starts to cave in.

While T-Bone grabs both glovatrixes, Razor runs over to and picks up Callie. Razor runs out of the chamber, and stops just long enough to set Callie on her feet and run down the corridor. Commander and Lieutenant Feral both follow closely, with T-Bone running behind them all. Callie stumbles, and T-Bone scoops her up in his arms as he runs. They all leap out of the cave just as it collapses with a roar and a huge cloud of dust.

T-Bone picks Callie up and sets her on her feet, while Razor helps Felina and Commander Feral up off the ground.

Razor brushes the dust from his G-suit and says, "Lieutenant, I want to say it's been a pleasure knowing and working with you." He shakes her paw, then starts over to Callie.

"What are you talking about, Razor?" Felina asks as he releases her paw and walks over to Callie. T-Bone hugs Callie, then walks over to Felina.

T-Bone stops and glances at Razor before replying, "He means, this is probably the last time you or anyone will ever see us. With Dark Kat gone, we can just about retire... so we are."

"What?" she asks horrified. Callie moans slightly as Razor kisses her passionately. After a moment, he lets her go and says, "Goodbye, Callie."

T-Bone takes Felina in his arms, and kisses her. She returns the embrace and kiss. After a quiet moment, he releases her and whispers, "Take care of yourself, gorgeous."

After caressing her cheek for a second, and kissing her, this time softly, he turns and leaps into the TurboKat, then takes off, leaving Felina wide-eyed. She brings her fingers to her lips and tries to keep from breathing heavily as she watches the black jet fly off. Callie also stands there, similiarly shocked by Razor's kiss.

Feral helps Callie into his Chopper while Felina takes the co-pilot's seat.

While on their way back to Enforcer HQ, Commander Feral's radio blares, "Commander, someone named Clawson from MegaKat Salvage wants to speak to you."

"What does he want?"

"He says it's about the SWAT Kats."

"Put him on." Feral replies.

"Commander, this is Jake Clawson from the Salvage Yard. The SWAT Kats just...CHANCE GET AWAY FROM THAT JET! WE DON'T WANT FERAL ACCUSING US OF BEING THE SWAT KATS BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD YOUR GRIMY PAWS ON THE FUSELAGE!"

'I just want to sit in it!' Chance's reply barely filters through the link. They hear Jake stifle a laugh and mutter, "Once a pilot, always a pilot."

"You have the TurboKat, Clawson?" Feral growls, still shaking his head from Jake's yelling.

"Yeah, and the SWAT Kats asked us to call you after they had left."

"I'll be right there, don't touch that jet, or else, Clawson."

"I'll try to restrain Chance, Commander."

He turns the Chopper around and flies toward the Salvage yard. Upon arriving, he sees the two ex-Enforcer pilots walking around admiring the jet.

"Get away from that! That's evidence against the SWAT Kats!" he yells at the two.

Both toms roll their eyes, walk into the garage, and start working on a car. Felina follows them in.

"You two are the ones my Uncle says are the best?"

"Best at getting in his way when it was our tag to start with? Or is it the best excuse he could find to get us booted off?" the tiger says with anger in his voice. "Or..."

"Chance!" the smaller tom snaps, then turns to her, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but even after five years he's still a bit bitter about it. My name's Jake Clawson, and, well, he's Chance Furlong."

"My name's Felina Feral."

"We know. We've seen you on the news several times."

Callie walks in, and Chance looks up, grinning. "Hi Callie."

"Hi Chance. Hi Jake." she looks like she's about to cry.

"What's wrong, Ms. Briggs?" Chance asks, walking over to her. He raises his paw to put on her shoulder, but realizes that it's grease covered, so he gestures to inside the house, "Come in, sit down, and tell us all about it."

"The SWAT Kats are leaving. Running out on MegaKat City...and me."

"Why? What happened?" he asks as he gets a can of milk from the fridge and gives it to her. He joins Jake at the sink so they can wash their paws.

"They said because Dark Kat is dead, they're going to leave the City in the Enforcer's care." Jake sits next to her and takes her paws in his.

"Callie, they may have other reasons for..."

"Furlong, Clawson! Report!" Feral bellows from outside.

Looking annoyed, Jake releases Callie's paws and remarks, "Haven't heard that in ages, eh, Chance?"

"Nope. Don't want to again, that's for sure."

Feral storms into the garage, then into the house, and sees both toms trying to console Callie. He growls, "Report, you two."

"Report about what? We don't report to you." After seeing Feral start to grow angry, Jake adds, "They landed, unloaded their bike, told us to call you, and left."

"You're risking court-martial with your dis..." Feral snarls, towering over both toms.

"You kicked us off so we ain't Enforcers anymore, Commander, so leave off the military protocols, ok?" Chance cuts him off with a growl of his own. Jake sits back down next to Callie.

Felina stands between both toms, holding them apart, "Look, Uncle, he does have a point. He isn't an Enforcer anymore." she turns and stares down Chance, "You better show him more respect, Furlong, or I'll kick your tail... understand?"

"Yeah." Chance growls softly. "I understand."

"I'm taking the TurboKat for study." Feral says as he walks out of the door. "You had better not hassle my Enforcers when they come to get it."

"We won't. It's bad enough here, so we don't want to end up in prison." Chance retorts.

"Coming, Ms. Briggs?" Felina asks.

"No. Chance, can you tow my car here? It's banged up a bit from Dark Kat."

"Sure thing, Callie." Chance says as he digs the towtruck keys out of his pocket.

"Jake, what did you mean by 'other reasons'?" Callie asks.

"Well, they may be moving soon, or they might be getting too old to play superhero. Who knows? Maybe they realize that it's time to end things, so they're ending them quietly." The sound of the Chopper taking off drowns Jake out, and he repeats it when the sound had diminished.

"They can't leave! They're heroes!" she says, on the verge of tears. "They're my heroes." she whispers, looking downward.

Jake's heart breaks, but he manages to hide his feelings as he says, "You know that one song? The one that talks about SuperKat?"

"Uh, no, I don't." she says, looking up at him. Her eyes are filled with tears. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. But there's a couple lines in it that say, 'Even heroes have the right to bleed, even heroes have the right to dream'. Maybe they dream of living a normal life. Maybe they're tired of bleeding, and are quitting while they are still young enough to live normal lives." he says softly. She gets the feeling he's talking about himself.

"Maybe you're right, Jake." she says. "I still can't help but think they're running out on me."

"Do you love them?"

"Yes."

"No, I mean, truly love them. Not for what they've done, not for the personas they set forward, for they themselves. Do you love the kats behind their masks?"

"I... don't know. I wish I knew who they were."

"They're probably just a couple of toms. They are probably burned out from being heroes, and just want to settle down, work nine to five, marry a coupla girls and raise kittens." he says, with a sad look on his face. Callie looks at him quizzically. The conversation lasts for a long time.

* * *

Chance starts the towtruck and drives out, glancing at the TurboKat, then at the departing Chopper. He nears Callie's car and hooks it up, then drives back. On his way back he sees four Enforcer Patrol Choppers carrying the Turbokat on a net stretched between them.

He backs Callie's car into the garage, then walks inside.

"Well, I guess it's finally happened." Chance declares.

"What?" Callie asks.

"No more SWAT Kats. The Enforcers got the jet now."

"I guess they meant it when they said they're retiring." she mutters.

"We can have your car fixed in a couple hours if ya wanna wait." Chance says.

"Yeah. I can wait."

"Ok, you have free reign of the house. If ya wanna take a nap, jus' use Jake's room, it's cleaner'n mine. It's the one halfway down the hall. If ya wanna watch TV, there's the remote. If ya want something to eat, feel free to use the kitchen."

"Thanks guys." Callie says before climbing the stairs, and going in a room.

"Commander, we just got done dusting the TurboKat for prints."

"Tell me there were some?" Feral asks as he signs some paperwork.

"Sorry, Commmander, whoever the SWAT Kats are, they're nothing if not thorough. There was no trace of any pawprints anywhere, in, on, or under the jet."

"Those two hotshots must have left a print somewhere! Keep searching that jet!"

* * *

"Allright, we're done." Chance says as he closes the hood. "Jake, can ya get Callie and tell her we're done? I'm gonna go wash up."

"Sure, Chance."

Jake climbs the stairs and walks into his room. He sees Callie lying in his bed, the covers pulled up to her neck.

"Callie, wake up." he says, placing his paw on her shoulder.

"Yeah?" she murmurs sleepily. She rolls over and looks at him, blinking her eyes a few times.

"Your car's fixed." Jake says as he backs toward the door. "We also gave it a tune-up, as it was due for it. We've decided to waive the fee for the tune-up, as it wouldn't be fair to charge you for that."

"Ok. Thanks." she says, sitting up, letting the covers fall. Jake takes an involuntary step backward at the sight of a she-Kat in her brassiere. He turns and walks out of his room. He hears, "Jake?" come from his room.

He walks to the door, but looks at the floor instead of her. "Yes?"

"Thank you." she says, pulling her shirt on. She swings her legs out from the covers and pulls her miniskirt on.

"Uh, thanks for what?" he asks while she picks up her tie, jacket, and pumps, then stands up. She walks over to him and kisses him on his cheek.

"For everything." she whispers in his ear.

Jake follows her downstairs, and she pays him. She drives off, and he turns around, running smack into Chance. "Here's your portion, bud." Jake says as he splits the money evenly.

"You look disturbed, Jake." Chance remarks as he pockets the money.

"We'll probably never see her again. Not after we leave here. That's all." Jake hangs his head and walks into the garage.

* * *

Felina lies in bed that night, remembering T-Bone's kiss, and the feelings she had always had for him. She had always thought he liked her, but was never sure, "I've got to find him. Does he love me? I gotta know."

She gets up, pulling some clothing on, goes to the records archives and starts searching through the sparse records about the SWAT Kats.

"They appeared only five years ago, when Dark Kat tried kitnapping the Mayor and Deputy Mayor." 'Five years.' she muses. 'For three and a half of them I've been in love with him.' After several hours of exhaustive searching, and pulling records, she gives up. 'I'll never find them at this rate.'

She returns to her quarters, tired from the search, and falls asleep. She dreams of being in T-Bone's arms, making love to him.

* * *

"Hey, Chance, I found an apartment we can afford!"

"Where is it, and how much?"

"One thousand a month, and it's in your old nieghborhood."

"What's the address?"

"161A, Thirtieth street. The Korat Building."

"That's only a block from Pop's stand, and two from Dad's apartment."

"Well, if ya wanna call, go ahead. I gotta finish taking the tow arm off the truck and start welding the new box bed in."

* * *

Several days later,

'Commander, Chance Furlong from MegaKat Salvage yard holding on line 2.'

"Commander Feral. What is it, Furlong?"

'Commander, according to our recordkeeping, we just finished paying off our debt to the City. We figured we'd call and let you know that have finished, and that we're ready to leave the Salvage yard, as per our agreement with the City.'

"First the SWAT Kats, now this. It's turning into a good week. Allright Furlong, as soon as we verify that you have indeed paid off the debt, you will be given a week to pack and leave the Salvage yard."

'We've packed already, and have already moved most of it into our new apartment. We do have some things to finish up, but we've basically already moved out.'

"Very well. Someone will be over to check your records over and compare them to ours."

He hangs up the phone, ignoring Chance's muttered thanks. He pages recordkeeping. "Longclaw, get someone to the Salvage yard with a copy of our records on Furlong and Clawson's debt. They say they've paid it off."

'Yes Sir.'

* * *

Four hours later, 'Commander, this is Longclaw from records, they have indeed paid off the debt, and in fact, we owe them approximately two-hundred twenty dollars.'

"What!"

'They did say that they are going to forget about it if you don't give them any hassle about moving out.'

"Very well. I won't hassle them unless they aren't out of there by the end of the week."

A Ford F-750 Superduty truck with a custom box bed pulls up and two toms jump out. The neighborhood kittens watch as they unload the truck, and head up to an apartment, then leave. An hour later they are back, moving furniture. After moving boxes and furniture all day, they leave. The next day, the truck is back, and they get done moving in. They lock their truck, and the small one heads up to their new apartment.

The kittens follow the large tom as he walks down to Pop's stand and buys a 'Kat Kommandos' comic. Seeing the group behind him, he buys gum and gives a piece to every kitten nearby. He walks another block, and heads into his parent's building, taking the stairs to their floor.

He knocks on the door, and his father, baseball bat in paw, opens it, "We said we ain't... oh, Chance! Come on in. I thought you were those punks again."

"Well, I'm livin' only two blocks away now, Dad. No need t' worry about the punks anymore. I can scare 'em off."

* * *

One week later,

Callie puts the phone down, a puzzled look on her face. She re-dials the number manually and gets the same message. She picks up her car keys and drives out to the Salvage yard.

She sees gargantuan piles of junk in front of the garage, and the sign that proclaimed 'Jake and Chance's Auto Repair' had been painted over. She sees a massive dump truck dumping salvage on top of the pile. The two toms in it get out and approach her.

"What's a pretty lady doin' out here, Murray?" the large one asks.

"Where's Jake and Chance?" she demands.

"They got done payin' Feral's debt and got booted outta here a week ago." the small tom responds. Both toms eye her body. She starts to get nervous as they both step toward her.

"Just great." she turns and gets in her car and starts it. She drives off before they can get closer. 'They're gone! Where could they be?'

She drives to Enforcer HQ, to speak to Commander Feral.

* * *

Callie walks out of Commander Feral's office on the verge of tears. Commander Feral had no clue as to where the two ex-Enforcers had gone. He was even happy that they had apparently dropped on the face of the planet. She looks up at the sky as she leaves the HQ building.

"Goodbye, guys. I love you."

* * *

Part 2: Rebirth

"Freeze, Security!" the uniformed tabby yells, training his pistol on the Techno-crook. He seemed almost wraith-like, glowing eerily in the darkened computer lab.

"You can't catch Hard Drive with bullets!" came his taunt as he sends a bolt of electricity at the seemingly lone guard. The guard leaps to the side, keeping his pistol trained on Hard Drive. He squeezes off a shot, hitting Hard Drive in the shoulder. The surge-suit absorbs the force of the slug, which falls to the ground. However, the impact sends Hard Drive reeling.

Just then he's tackled from behind as a second guard pounces. The first guard radios for backup as the other puts Hard Drive in a sleeper hold, and wrestles him to the ground.

After a few minutes, Hard Drive is unconscious, and the one who pounced on him removes his Surge-suit so he couldn't zap into a power line if he reained consciousness before the Enforcers arrived. Several minutes later, three armed Enforcers, with Commander Feral following burst in the room and see the two guards.

"You two!" he shouts as he recognizes them.

"Yeah, it's us, Commander. Here's Hard Drive, and his surge suit." Chance says, holstering his pistol. "They're all yours. Don't let him escape." he says he's joined by his partner.

"You can thank us later." Jake says as he tosses the surge-suit at Feral and leaves the room.

"That'll be the day." Feral mutters as the Enforcers cuff Hard Drive and carry him out.

Back in his office, he reviews the day's reports. It had been a month since the SWAT Kats had disappeared, and Commander Feral had his paws full. Burglaries had gone up, murders were up, domestic disputes had ballooned, all because his Enforcers were too busy fending off Dr. Viper and the MetalliKats to do any good on the street. At least Hard Drive was back in custody.

On top of it all, he had noticed his niece was not in the best of health or moods. She hadn't eaten, and had barely slept the entire month. The Black Squad had also reported that she hadn't been in 'Black land' for the same period of time. He knew it had something to do with the SWAT Kats, but what?

Looking through the reports, he knew he had alot of work to do.

'First things first.' He muses as he leaves his office to look for his niece.

* * *

She smiles as she looks at T-Bone's picture again. That smug grin is the reason she actually took a liking to the SWAT Kats. She initially thought the shy little Razor was cuter, but it was T-Bone's confidence in every situation and that grin that stole her heart.

She hears the door open and the distinguishable footsteps of her Uncle walking toward her.

As he says, "Felina," she looks up at him, her smile disappearing.

"Why are you looking at those, and what for?" he says, searching her face.

She continues to look at him, and he notices the pleading look in her eyes. Openly dispalying her emotion, something she never did, she says, "Uncle... Have you ever been in love with someone?"

The question takes him by suprise, and he sits down. He replies in a suprisingly soft voice, "Yes. Your mother."

"What?" she gasps. She sees him, for the first time, not as her stern, emotionless Uncle, but openly displaying his emotion as he responds, "My heart broke when she married your father, kitten. When she died in that car accident, so did my heart. All I have left is my job."

He reaches up and caresses her cheek, then runs his fingers through her hair. "You look just like her, you know that don't you? You even have her hair."

She looks at him, shocked beyond words.

He smiles sadly as he says, "You're the closest I have to a daughter." He sighs and asks, "Which one? T-Bone?"

She nods, still speechless.

He straightens up and stands. The openly displayed emotion disappears, replaced by his permanent scowl. He says, "I'm assigning you to find their identities and track them down. I don't care who they are, kitten. I'm offering them amnesty, and a job. As what, that depends. Probably as SWAT Kats." He reaches down and closes the folder. "First thing you will do is report to the Mess Hall and get some food. I want you to eat until you can't move, then go to your quarters and sleep." She starts to interject that she can't sleep, and he says, "If you have trouble getting to sleep, I'll have Dr. Konway give you something that will help you sleep. Those are my direct orders, Lieutenant, I expect you to obey them. You can start your new assignment tomorrow."

"Yes sir." she says, before standing and leaving the room. He puts the folder away for her. 'I don't want those hotshots here, but I can keep a leash on them if I know who they are. I hate to admit it, but this City needs them. She needs them, too.'

* * *

"No, get back!" the petite blond-haired she-Kat backs against a wall as the thugs come up to her.

"Such a pretty little thing, and all alone. Tsk tsk tsk. You should be indoors." the lead thug says menacingly. Scattered laughter come from his four followers.

She screams as they reach her.

Suddenly, several of the thugs are laying in a pile as a large, uniformed tabby stands up from tackling them. The lead thug swings his baseball bat at the unknown assailant, who grabs it and tears it from his paw. He snaps it in two and drops the pieces, then laughs as he says, "Oops, sorry, did I break that?"

Behind him, a thug gets up and tries to sneak up on him from behind. A copper and grey colored streak smashes into him, knocking him against a wall. The second tom rolls to to his feet and takes a fighting stance. The other three thugs get up and run away.

"Thanks for the backup, buddy." the large tabby says.

"No problem." the small tom responds, watching the fourth thug get up and run off.

After a second, seeing that he was alone, the lead thug runs away from the two toms.

"You ok, miss?" Chance asks as he walks up to her.

"Y--yeah." she responds, still trembling. "How did you do that?"

"I was an Enforcer. So was Jake. Now we work security at Pumadyne."

"Aww, crud! I'll have to patch this jacket. I ripped the sleeve." Jake grumbles, looking at a small rip in the arm of his jacket.

"Where do ya live, miss?"

"Two blocks down."

"You feel safe walking?"

She shakes her head.

"Mind if we take ya?"

"That... would be nice." she says nervously.

"Hop in." Chance says as he walks up to a large truck. He gets in, Jake gets in the middle, and she gets in on the passenger side.

* * *

Felina picks at the food in front of her. Even though she had been ordered to stuff herself, she just couldn't eat. She couldn't stop thinking about T-Bone, and how much she wanted to be with him.

'I can't sleep for thinking about him, I can't eat for thinking about him. The only thing that made it tolerable before was I knew I would see him again.'

"Easy Felina. Just get a grip. You'll see him again. Eat and sleep, then you can tackle finding him." she murmurs as she makes herself start eating. She doesn't hear her Uncle come up behind her.

She gets up after eating to drop her plate off to be washed. She turns and winces as she sees him standing right behind her.

"Yes, uncle?" she asks.

"Just making sure you follow orders. Now get back in the line. I want you so stuffed I have to carry you to your quarters."

She gets in the line, aware that he was following her through the line as she passed.

* * *

"Thank you." she says. "I thought I would be..."

"That's ok, Miss."

"Tina." she says.

"Ok, Tina. My name is Chance." he replies. "My shy partner here is Jake."

"Hey!" Jake says.

"Ever since the SWAT Kats disappeared, Enforcers only patrol the area once a day, instead of every half-hour." she replies. She notices the strange and sad look on their faces.

"Yeah. I've noticed. The SWAT Kats did alot of good for this City, and now that... they're gone..." Chance says softly.

"Yeah. Everyone took them for granted." she continues for him.

"Exactly." he says. The sad look in his eyes was unmistakable, even though his face was impassive.

"This City needs them." she says. He turns his attention back to the road.

"We had our reasons." Chance murmurs softly to himself, and to his partner.

"What was that?" she asks.

"Huh?" he asks, snapping out of his trance.

"You said something about reasons." she asks.

"He said, I'm sure they had reasons." Jake responds.

"Here's the building." she says. Chance pulls over and lets her out.

She looks back in at him before closing the door, "Bye, Chance. Bye Jake."

They both respond, "Bye, Tina."

As thay drive off, Chance says, "Jake, you've noticed that the crime rate has increased."

"I know, but what can we do about it?"

"Lets get our G-Suits and confront Feral with who we are. The most he can do is put us in prison."

"Chance, that's not..."

"Look, this town needs the SWAT Kats. We ARE the SWAT Kats. Besides, I'm not enjoying my retirement."

"All right, Chance. I just hope we don't end up regretting this." JAke replies. He pauses before saying, "I haven't exactly been enjoying myself this last month either."

"We'll go see Feral first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

She drags herself out of bed, groggy from overeating and the sleeping pills that Dr. Konway had given her. After showering and brushing her hair and fur, she pulls on her clothing and heads to the mess hall for coffee. She sees a couple of the Black Squad who were just coming off duty come into Mess.

Colonel Alex 'Smokey' Johnson, the tiger striped tabby in charge of the Black Squad, points out Felina to his grey-furred partner, Major Lowell 'Stripes' Hurst.

"Hey, Lieutenant c'mere!" Stripes shouts across the room. Half the room looks at them so he yells, "Hey TomKat!"

"Major, Colonel, haven't seen you two in a while." she responds, gulping coffee from a paper cup as she walks up.

"Yeah we all kinda noticed. We never see ya up in Black land anymore." Smokey replies.

"I've been... busy."

"Ain't we all, now the SWAT Kats are gone. Pardon my sayin' so, but you look like crap." Stripes says.

"I haven't been able to eat or sleep lately, that's all."

"Ya can't live on coffee alone." he admonishes. "Ya finally made the top three on the Chart."

"Lemme guess, right behind Furlong and Clawson?" she responds, remembering when she had first met them a month ago.

"Yep. Those two are the benchmark for all of us. I don't think the SWAT Kats coulda outflown and outgunned those two." Stripes declares.

"So you guys say every week when you update the board. 'No one can fly like Maniac, and Maverick could hit the edge of a razor... from... a mile away...'" she pauses, thinking, ''Edge of a Razor.'' She smiles broadly as she purrs, "Thanks Stripes. You might have just made my new assignment easier."

"You're welcome." Stripes responds as his partner asks, "Thanks for what?"

"Nothing, Smokey." Felina says as she quickly gets up. She kisses one and then the other on their cheeks before dashing out of the Mess Hall.

She hears Stripes say to Smokey, "What a gal."

* * *

She runs into the Personnel office and skids to a halt in front of the copper colored sergeant at the desk. He takes off his wire-rim glasses and looks at her expectantly with amber eyes.

Panting she declares, "I need the files on Jacob Clawson and Chance Furlong."

"Sure thing." the older tom says as he gets up from his desk.

He hunts around the C's in his files, then pulls out a file. "Clawson, Jacob N. Here ya go."

"Thanks." she says, as she takes the file.

"The other was who, Furlong?" he turns and closes the C's, and walks over to the filing cabinet marked F.

"Yeah."

"All right. If I may ask, what do you need these files for?" he says as he pages through the F's.

"Uncle has me on a special assignment."

"Uncle would be who?"

"Commander..."

"Feral, then. You must be the Felina I've had to get the file on for updating so much. Pleasure to meet you in person. Your ID Photo doesn't do you justice, my dear." he says as he hands her a file labelled, 'Furlong, Chancellor E.'

She smiles slightly at his compliment.

A fatherly smile spreads across his face as he says, "Make sure you don't damage anything in those folders. Good luck on your assignment."

"Thanks, Sergeant..."

"Clawson. Jake's my son." he says proudly.

"How come you're still a Sergeant, and he made it to Lieutenant?"

"I got injured by thugs when I was on patrol one night. I was deemed unfit for active duty, and got this desk job. Unfortunately, promotions don't often come for this job." He shrugs, and she notices his limp for the first time as he walks back to his desk.

"I'm sorry." she say, clutching the folders to her chest.

"Don't be. Good luck on your assignment." he says as he sits back down and starts typing again.

* * *

"Ready?"

"No."

"C'mon, Jake."

"I'm not ready, but I'm going anyway. I wonder how dad is?"

"You still ain't called him?"

"You know we haven't had alot of time to do anything, not with adjusting to graveyard shift."

"Yeah, you're right. Now all we need to do is get in Enforcer HQ without being seen."

"Easy enough. The sewers. You remember the one room in the sub-basement that was part of a sewer passage?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Chance grimaces. He pulls a pair of overalls on top of the G-suit, then rummages around for some boots. He remembers back to the time he had been lost in the sub-levels, and Jake had to rescue him.

Jake had found him screaming, attached by his claws to the wall in a room filled with sewer roaches. It still made his fur crawl remembering the size of some of them.

"Well, we can enter there, and use the stairs." Jake replies, pulling his boots on.

"I hardly wait," Chance says sarcastically.

"You wanna climb on top of MegaKat tower and hang-glide to HQ using the Deltapacks?"

"No," Chance replies, "Too many guards. All right, all right, we'll take the sewers."

They both grab backpacks that have the obvious SWAT Kat gear, and leave their apartment.

* * *

She dashes into the Records room and drops the files on the desk she had been working at, then runs over and grabs the SWAT Kats files, and her notepad. She runs back to her desk and like a kitten at Christmas, opens the files and starts comparing Furlong and Clawson to the SWAT Kats.

She compares Chance's picture to T-Bone's and she stops. Smiling she says, "I finally gotcha." She sighs softly, then clears her thoughts as she gathers the folders together.

She goes back to Personnel.

"Sergeant Clawson, what do you know about the SWAT Kats?" she asks.

"Nothing much. You probably know more than I." he says while typing.

"I think you know more than you let on. How could you not know your son is Razor?"

He stops and looks up at her over his glasses, and smiles as he replies, "You caught me. I know Jake is Razor. He told me after they flew the first time."

"I have to tell Uncle now, not that he'll like it, but it seems that we'll make him a SWAT Kat again, or put him back on the force, if we can find him. You wouldn't know would you?"

"Nope. I haven't heard from that rascal since last month."

"So, you haven't been able to contact him?" she asks, puzzled.

"No. Are you done with the files?" he replies.

"I have to show Uncle, but they'll be back, hopefully within an hour."

"All right. See you soon."

* * *

Two blocks away from Enforcer HQ, no one notices a Ford commercial truck park, and two inspectors climb out, then go over to a kathole, and climb down.

After trudging through the sewers for a while, they find the fenced off area. Jake opens his backpack and puts on his glovatrix, activating the buzzsaw.

He cuts through the latch and the fence door swings open. They enter, and close it again. Jake activates the welder on his glovatrix and welds what he cut back together.

Chance takes off his slime-covered boots and tosses them in the corner, then drops his coveralls next to them. Jake follows suit, and after they both don their remaining SWAT Kat gear, the place the backpacks with the coveralls.

They peek out of the room and make their way to the stairway. They cautiously make their way nine stories to the administrative floor.

* * *

She picks up the phone in her office, and hears Feral on the other end.

"Ms. Briggs, I need to talk to you immediately. Could you come to my office?"

"Why Commander?"

"I won't say much here, but I'm working on finding the SWAT Kats."

"Why?"

"I won't say anything further. Just come to my office." she hears him hang up his phone.

She grabs her purse and leaves a note for the Mayor that she'll be out for an unknown amount of time.

* * *

They hear voices as they approach Feral's office. Razor grits his teeth and starts looking nervous as they recognize Callie's voice.

They hear the sound of a kat running in their direction, and turn to see Felina skid around a corner and stop dead.

Without a further thought, she drops the folders she had been carrying, and lunges at T-Bone, gasping out, "Chance!"

Feral and Callie look inquisitively at the doorway upon hearing Felina's muted voice.

T-Bone finds Felina kissing him, her body pressed against his. After a moment, she pulls away and punches him in the face.

The blow knocks him off his feet, into plain sight of Feral and Callie. After rubbing his chin he asks, "What was that for?"

She grabs him by the chest of his G-Suit and snarls, "Don't you EVER leave again Furlong, or I'll kill you, do you hear me?"

Before he can respond, she kisses him again, pinning him to the ground.

Razor walks in the office, taking off his helmet and glovatrix, dropping them on the floor.

"What is all this about?" Feral demands.

T-Bone is unsuccessfully trying to get Felina off of him, who is holding on to him like she'll never let him go.

Razor pulls off his mask, his eyes and face betraying the sadness he felt.

"I should have figured it was you two." Feral growls before Jake can say anything. "Where did you hide the jet?"

Callie gasps and drops her purse as she recognizes Jake, her face an expression of shock. She sits down, trying to keep her breathing steady as a roiling mix of emotions run through her.

"Underground Hangar." Jake says, looking at Feral. "Pre-Enforcer MegaWar II base. The only one left in MegaKat City." He can't bring himself to look at Callie, so he stares at the floor. "The Salvage Yard was built on top of it."

Callie stands, looking at Feral. "I have to go." she whispers, the tears starting to form in her eyes. "I can't stay." She grabs her purse and starts toward the door.

"Felina, let him up." Feral orders. "I have a deal for you two. Ms. Briggs, you stay too. I want you to hear this."

Reluctantly Felina lets T-Bone go. He scrabbles away from her and stands up. Keeping a wary eye on her, he backs into Feral's office as she picks up the folders that she had dropped. He pulls off his mask and shoves it into his pocket.

Callie stops, turns, and walks up to his desk. "Your not going to send them to prison, are you?" she asks, her voice betraying her feelings.

"No, I'm not sending them to prison," Feral says.

Felina, having picked up the folders, walks in and stands next to Chance. She takes his arm and holds onto it tightly while resting her head on his shoulder. Chance tries to get her off him, but can't, so he stops struggling after a moment.

Callie sits down, not looking at either SWAT Kat.

Feral says, "Now, SWAT Kats, here's the deal..."

* * *

Chance lies awake in bed, thinking over everything that had happened that day. In 24 hours, he had been given both his old jobs back, as both an Enforcer and as a SWAT Kat, he was going to be stationed at the Salvage yard, and he had gotten Felina as a girlfriend. The only snag was Felina. What if she fell out of love with him and decided he wasn't 'Prince Charming'? What would happen then? Would he end up in prison? He was sure that it was only because of her that Feral didn't arrest them when they appeared in his office.

Felina lay beside him, purring happily as she slept snuggled against him.

* * *

Callie wanders around her apartment, thinking. She had been doing so for several hours, unable to sleep. Her thoughts had been full of confused musings about the SWAT Kats and herself. Her emotions were also a complete mess, one moment she wanted to find Jake to kill him, the next she wanted to make love with him, and the next she didn't want anything to do with him, ever. She finally sat down on the sofa, pulling her legs up to her and hugging them, still unable to sleep. After several hours, she got up, changed into a jogging outfit, and left her apartment.

* * *

Razor sits just inside the TurboKat's missile bay, checking over all the systems from a diagnostic port. He hears a door open to the maintenance bay the TurboKat sat in, but paid it no mind, figuring it was just one of the patrolling Enforcers. He hears footsteps approach, and the soft sound of someone touching and running their paw along part of the TurboKat. He ignores it, trying to make out some of the figures that are appearing on the screen of his diagnostic tool.

He sees a shadow pass by the opening of the missile bay, and hears someone ducking under the TurboKat to get a look in.

"Oh," he hears, as Callie sticks her head in the missile bay, "I didn't know you... were here."

"Yeah. I'm just running some diagnostics. I'm about to go though. I'm almost done." He glances up, then concentrates on the glowing LCD on his diag tool. He disconnects it from the port, then shuts down the computer from a small switch in the compartment, packs the tool in his bag, then shoulders it as he tries to leave.

"You don't have to leave just because I'm here, Razor. I'd... rather have someone here with me."

"No offense, but I'm tired, and I want to get some sleep. Maybe some other time," he says as he walks away from the jet, "Turn off the lights when you leave, Ms. Briggs."

She looks at his back as he walks quickly away from the TurboKat and her, her emotions and thoughts confused.

"Razor!" she yells, running after him. She catches up to him at the doors, "Why are you running away?"

"'Cause I don't know what to think. Do you really like me, the REAL me, or is it Razor you like? Until I get a definite answer, I just wanna be left alone." he says as he stops and thumbs the switch for the lights in the maintenance bay, then walks out the door, leaving her alone in the darkened bay.

She follows him, "I thought I knew you pretty well, until today. I found out I don't, and I want to fix that."

"Maybe some other time. I'm tired, and I want to go to bed." he replies as he stops at the elevator.

"I only live three blocks away. You could sleep on my sofa."

"No thanks." he pushes the button.

"You live where, halfway across the city?"

"I took a cab here, I'll take a cab back."

"Look, I remember that talk that day that... that... you guys turned in the TurboKat." She pauses and takes his paw in hers, "I mean what I said about getting to know you. Even if it's just watching you sleep on my sofa. Even if it's just finding out your annoying little quirks. Please, I want to spend time with you just for that. I want to get to know the kat behind Razor's mask, not Razor. Please, just tonight, on my sofa?"

He stops, his look turning thoughtful. Finally he nods, saying, "Just for tonight, your sofa."

"Can you walk three blocks?" she says, walking into the elevator as the doors open.

"Yeah. I've fought criminals on less sleep." he replies as he follows her into the elevator.

* * *

On their way to her apartment, she walks next to him, glancing furtively at him every few seconds. She was so tempted to seduce him, but he had told her no physical contact, or he wouldn't stay. She clasped her paws together, and resisted the urge to place her arms around him and lean against him.

When thay arrived, she unlocked her apartment, and went into the kitchenette as he placed his things next to the door. He pulled off his boots and lay down on the sofa, falling asleep almost immediately.

She came out of the kitchenette, and seeing that he had already fallen asleep, she walked over and sat down next to him, watching him, leaving the food on the table. She spent the night there, watching him sleep.

* * *

He woke up to find Callie asleep on the floor next to the sofa, laying on the floor in her sweat suit. He silently got up and got his boots on, then carefully picked her up and set her down on the sofa.

He couldn't keep from gently brushing a lock of hair from her face, nor could he resist kissing her softly on the lips. She stirred slightly and smiled as he pulled his head away and stood up.

He quickly looked around for and found a blank sheet of paper. He quickly wrote a note for her, thanking her for letting him sleep on her sofa, and that he was going back to Enforcer HQ to finish work on the TurboKat.

He left the note on the table, then walked back over and kissed her again. He turned and left her there, hoping to get back to Enforcer HQ and continue working on the TurboKat.

* * *

"Where've you been, buddy?" T-Bone asks as he finishes climbing down off the jet, "We've got to pack and move our stuff back... you know where."

"I needed a break from working, and Callie offered her sofa. She only lives three blocks away."

"You get it on?"

"No way! I'm not you, ya fuzzy lugnut!"

"Well, I didn't wanna either, but she gave me no choice. I just don't know how long this'll last, bud. If she decides she doesn't love me anymore, we have a one-way ticket to Alkatraz, of that I'm sure."

"There'd be nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."

"I know. I just hope that she truly does love me, 'cause I think she's the only real reason we're not in prison right now."

Razor checks over the jet and says, "Looks like you've taken care of everything I didn't get to. Let's go then."

* * *

As they drive into the Salvage yard with the first load of their belongings, they see the mounds of salvage strewn all over the place.

"Looks like Burke and Murray really took care of the place." Chance sarcastically says, now dressed in Enforcer Mechanic overalls. He smooths out the creases in it, which had started to annoy him.

"There's the two jerks now," Jake mutters, adjusting his overalls, too.

"Hey Burke, get a load of these two!" Murray yells.

"Feral said youse two is gonna be back here. Whaddya break now?" Murray taunts.

"Your neck, if ya don't shut up, fuzzball." Chance snaps at the much larger tom.

"Wanna make me? Maybe I can make you fly again!" Murray replies as he raises his fists.

"Maybe not!" Chance yells as Murray took a swipe. Chance ducks, then flips him over his shoulder, causing nice imprint of Murray's back in the dirt. Burke rushes Jake, who grabs and hurls him at Murray, who is trying to stand up. The impact sent both toms sprawling.

They walk over to them and Chance snaps, "Our business at this salvage yard is between us and Feral. We are Enforcers again, even though we don't fly. This place is also Enforcer property, as of the new agreement that you signed yesterday. Now leave before we arrest you for assaulting Enforcer officers."

* * *

That night, for one of the last times they'd sleep there, Jake and Chance exhaustedly collapse in their beds in their apartment. They had cleared the majority of the salvage in front of the garage, cleared out the basement and brought the hangar back to operating status, even though they didn't bring the TurboKat back to it yet.

Both toms dreaded resuming the mechanic/SWAT Kat double life they had led for so many years, however excited they were about flying again. They were relieved to an extent that they wouldn't have to hide from Feral anymore, even though Chance was understandably nervous about the arrangements. Jake was too, but not as much as Chance.

* * *

The blare of the alarm gets their attention, and they drop their tools as they run over to a panel. Chance slaps the button, and hears Feral's voice.

"You two get in the air now. The MetalliKats have raided the mint and wiped the floor with my Enforcers. Take them out."

"On our way, Commander." Chance says as they leap down the access hatch.

"MetalliKat Express sighted, T-Bone, locking scramblers." Razor says as the targeting system computes the optimal flight paths. "Locked and away!"

Two missiles lance out, striking the MetalliKat Express, causing a systems overload. The entire vehicle shuts down and skids across the ground. T-Bone pulls a tight loop, causing Razor to grit his teeth and fight unconsciousness. T-Bone levels the jet and Razor's finger's fly over his console.

"Now to put them in the scrapyard, permanently! Baby-boomers away!" Razor says as the two oddly shaped missiles launch.

The missiles impact, causing a huge explosion. A second later, a secondary explosion from the fuel and weapons aboard the MetalliKat Express leave debris scattered for hundreds of yards in each direction.

T-Bone sights a Kat's Eye News chopper approaching them, and he places the jet in hover mode.

* * *

In the darkness, a glowing red pair of eyes watches a small staticy screen.

'This is Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News. We're here in the air with the SWAT Kats, who have returned to the sky after a month-long hiatus.'

'That's right, Ann, we're back.' the burly tabby in the pilot's seat says.

His partner retorts, 'Remind us never to take a vacation again.'

'Yeah, well, we'll stop flying, we'll stop protecting this city when we die.' the pilot says before activating the canopy and flying off.

"And you will die, SWAT Kats." the deep voice belonging to the red eyes rumbles. He stands, hitting a switch, then using a cane for support, he walks into a hangar of sorts, looking at his new ship, "You have not seen the last of me, SWAT Kats."

* * *

Part 3: Losses

A few days later:

"What is this nut doing?" T-Bone asks as the now damaged unidentified craft turns and heads straight at them.

"I don't know, but he's armed his missiles." Razor replies.

"No kidding. Oh, crud!" T-Bone cries as the ship suddenly accelerates at them.

"We gotta eject, T..." Razor yells, but is cut off by the impact.

The twisting flaming wreckage of the TurboKat and the other jet explode, then careens to the top of a small skyscraper, strewing debris over half a dozen city blocks.

* * *

Commander Feral's face goes ashen, as he sees what had happened. He sits down at his desk to prepare a press release.

Felina screams in an angry sorrow as she sees the larger jet tear apart the TurboKat and both jets explode. Had it not been for her co-pilot, her Chopper would have crashed into the same skyscraper the wreckage landed on.

Callie stares at the firestorm out of her office window, transfixed, tears staring to form in her eyes. She falls to the floor, crying uncontrollably.

"This is Ann Gora," the brown-haired reporter says, her face showing her horrified disbelief, "Kat's Eye news. What we just saw may very well be the death of the SWAT Kats..."

"Hey, here's another one!" a rescue worker yelled as he pushed on the huge piece of metal. Several other workers ran over and managed to push the jet's nosecone off the unlucky kat.

"Damn. That's the sixth homeless we've found in this alley. When those jets exploded, the wreckage really did a number to the poor bastards who lived here."

"This one's in real bad shape, but at least he's alive. Most his fur and clothes got burned off, and he's lost his leg for sure."

"If he survives, it'll be a miracle," the EMT says, checking the tom's pulse, "This guy's almost dead. Help me get him to the ambulance."

* * *

"Ohh, crud." he groans as he unstraps his harness and pushes the ejektor seat off of him. He stands, looking around the pitch-black alley. He remembered the other jet coming at them as if to ram, and he rightfully guessed that he had been knocked out by the impact before the auto-ejection system had activated.

He presses a button on his glovatrix and tries to track his partner's glovatrix, but to no avail. He figured that his was damaged, and he had to start searching for his partner before anyone else found him. He pried off the cover and inspected the internals of his glovatrix. It seemed undamaged. He started to despair, knowing that it was his partner's glovatrix that was damaged, or worse, destroyed. If it was the latter, the odds were good that his partner had died.

He throws his ejektor seat into the nearest dumpster, and his helmet too. He takes off his mask and pockets it, then his G-Suit follows the helmet. He stumbles out of the alley in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, and spots a TV store. On it was the spectacular footage of the TurboKat's demise, and the reporter saying that more than fifty pedestrians and homeless Kats had been killed and injured. The reporter also mentioned that Dark Kat's corpse had been found in the wreckage as well, but neither SWAT Kat had been found.

After a several day long failed attempt to search the explosion debris area, he walks to Enforcer HQ.

He had found out that everyone thought that the SWAT Kats had died, and what Feral had done to cover up the SWAT Kats' identities was to erase all of their records after their stint at the Pumadyne. He wanted to see Feral before doing anything else.

He walks into Feral's office while the Commander was out and sits down, waiting for the huge tom to arrive. He falls asleep in the chair...

* * *

...And wakes to see Callie staring at him sadly, her head resting on his lap. He cringes at the sight of her, fear and sadness playing across his face as he backs into the chair. She sits up, stands, and stretches. Feral sat at his desk doing paperwork, and upon hearing Jake and Callie moving, looks up.

"You're finally awake, Clawson," he says, his voice level and even, "You've been asleep for a day and a half. Ms. Briggs has barely left my office in that time."

"T-Bone would have made contact by now if he were alive. I can't stay here. Commander, I'm asking you to arrest me. I want to..." Jake gets interupted.

"Jake!" Callie gasps.

"No, Clawson. That is unacceptable." Feral says, locking eyes with Jake.

"Commander, I can't fly anymore. Not without T-Bone." Jake shakes his head, keeping his eyes locked with Feral.

"You will stay at the Salvage Yard, honoring our contract, Clawson. If Furlong does not contact us within a month, we will update his record as deceased, and you will be freed from the Salvage Yard." Feral narrows his eyes and lowers his voice to a dangerous purr.

"Commander, I will not fly. Unless Chance is found alive, Razor died in that explosion." Jake says bitterly, before standing and stalking out.

"Jake!" Callie yells as she rushes after him.

"Please, Ms. Briggs, go away. I need to be alone for a while." Jake says while trudging along the hallway.

"Jake, I love you. I'm still here for you."

"I can't accept your love. I don't share your feelings."

"Please, I know you must feel horrible, but..."

"Dammit, Callie, I've probably lost my best friend, the only tom I could call my BROTHER. We both knew you liked me more than him, and that Felina liked him, but he loved you. He. Loved. You." he turns and points at her, emphasizing the last word before adding, "The only way he knew to get his feelings across was flirting. He didn't love Felina, he only liked her. I didn't love Felina either. And... I can't love you. Please, just... leave me alone."

Callie stands there, her mouth open, her face wearing an expression of angry shock. Jake turns away from her, hanging his head and continues to plod down the hallway, until he reaches the elevator. He presses the button, and after a moment, he looks down the hallway at her, a mournful expression on his face. The elevator door opens and he steps in.

She falls to her knees, sobbing.

* * *

The elevator stops, and Jake gets out. He turns down the hallway and walks to personnel. He walks in the door, and his father looks up, suprised.

"Jacob!"

"Hi dad." Jake says.

Sergeant Clawson stands and hobbles over to his son, and bear-hugs him.

"Dad, if Chance doesn't show up in a month, I'm leaving MegaKat City."

"What about the Deputy Mayor? And what should I tell your mother?"

"I'm leaving everything, dad. I'll keep in touch, when I can, but I'm not... I can't take Callie with me. I can't return her love and affection."

"You mean won't. You forget, Jacob, I am your father. I know you too well." the elder Clawson wags his finger in his son's face.

"I know, dad, I know."

"Don't push her away, Jake. I know she really does love you, and besides, I want grandkittens to dandle on my good knee."

"I'll keep it in mind, dad. Tell mom I love her."

"I will, Jacob. Goodbye."

"Bye dad."

* * *

Later that day:

"You wanted to see me, Uncle?" the tall she-kat says, her face ashen and gaunt, her eyes red and puffy, and her fur unkempt.

"Yes. I'm giving you two weeks leave, and this check for ten thousand dollars. You are going to vacation, then you are being transferred immediately to New Cymric. Don't return to MegaKat City, go straight to New Cymric. Your belongings will be there, waiting for you."

"Uncle, that's half-way across..."

"Don't argue with me, kitten. You need to be away from here for a while, until you've conquered your grief. When that's happened, I'll have you transferred back." he says levelly.

"Uncle..." she repeats angrily.

"Dismissed Lieutenant." Angrily, she turns and stalks out of the office.

* * *

Two months later:

She forces herself to stand up from the toilet. The nausea passes, and she flushes the toilet, then goes to her kitchenette to make something that wouldn't upset her stomach. She again wonders if she was sick, so she decides to use one of her sick days, and sees the doctor on duty.

"Well, hello, Lieutenant Feral, how are you feeling?" the doctor says as she enters his office.

"Nauseous. Every morning for the last few weeks I've been puking my breakfast."

"Hmm, lets take a look at you."

He places an electronic thermometer in her mouth, and measures her pulse, then takes her blood pressure after looking at the thermometer. "Slightly elevated temp, heart rate is above average, BP is elevated. Hmm. I'll have to run a test for sure, Lieutenant, but when was your last period?"

She starts to think, and says, "A while ago. In fact, I was still in MegaKat City. Just over two months." she pauses, and her face expresses shock, "I'm not..."

"Pregnant? Most likely. I can run a test on a urine sample." he says, and walks over to get a test cup. He gives it to her and says, "If you would, Lieutenant, the bathroom's over there."

* * *

"Well, Mr. Clawson, We've reviewed your resume, and we must admit, we're quite impressed. Could you tell me, however, what brings you half-way acros the country to NCA? Why didn't you put in at Pumadyne?"

"I didn't want to develop new weapons. I want to help Katkind. An old friend, Professor Isaac Hackle, worked at Pumadyne. He told me that all they ever do is military research. That and every other week some megalo starts some scheme or another. It got tiresome, wondering if I'd be the next to die in one of their attacks."

"So that's why you came here?"

"Yes. Like I said, I don't want to make weapons, and I'm tired of megalomaniacs. The risk factor here is much lower."

"We do have a lab assistant opening in one of our medical technology programs."

"That would be almost ideal."

"I'll introduce you to that team leader, Dr. Philip Glass."

"So, I have the job?"

"That's up to Phil. It's his team, although, most applicants don't even get this far."

Jake nods and follows his interviewer out of the office.

* * *

Six months later;

'Mr. Clawson, you have a call on line three, Mr. Clawson, line three.' a female voice pages him in the lab he was working in.

Jake walks over the the phone at the entrance to the lab and picks up the receiver, pressing the button.

"Hello, Clawson speaking."

'Jake? Hi, it's Callie.'

Jake gets a shocked look on his face, "How did you find me?"

'I had a P.I. keep tabs on you. I'm sorry, Jake, but I still love you. I'm going to be moving there when my term is up. I can't live being away from you."

"Callie, I can't love you. Just please, don't call here again." he says, then hangs up the receiver. He walks back, shaking his head sadly.

As he walks back to the table, one of his team-mates aks, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing. Just an old girlfriend. I've asked he not to call here again. Now, where was I?"

"Umm, potential actuator systems for this new prosthetic limb. We've covered eletric motors, miniature hydraulics..."

"Oh, yes. My subission is this."

"And what is it?" one of the other assistants asks.

"This material, a myo-polymer plastic, contracts like a muscle when exposed to an electrical current."

"Where did you get this plastic?" Dr. Glass asks, "I've never seen anything like it!"

"I... well, I was trying to make a new form of plastic explosive when I was in college, as an experiment, but I came up with this instead. I was suprised that it contracted and expanded when exposed to electricity."

* * *

A year later, in MegaKat City;

He opens his eyes to a bright light, and squints as it hurt. The first thing he noticed was his stomach growling. The second thing he noticed was that his eyes were adjusting to the light. He sat up and brought his paw to his face, only to stare in shock at it, for most of it except the fore-finger and thumb were missing.

He quickly looked at his other paw, and saw that it was intact. However, when he uncovered himself and looked, he was also missing a leg.

He heard a voice which sounded vaguely familiar, 'We gotta eject...', but couldn't see the face that went with it. For that matter, he couldn't remember the name that went with the voice, or his own name.

He sees someone walk in, and asks, "Hey, what's my name? Where am I?"

The nurse looks over at him and gasps, dropping the tray she'd been carrying.

* * *

A few days later:

"John." the doctor says as he enters the tom's room.

"Yeah, Doc?" he says, turning away from the TV and looking at the doctor.

"We have some news for you. New Cymric Advanced is accepting applications for the test of a new prototype prosthetic. It's a leg. Would you want us to put you in for it, so you can walk again?"

"Yeah. I'm goin' crazy in this bed, havin' to be wheeled around where I wanna go." he says before glancing at the screen. He does a double-take upon seeing someone on the screen.

'Thanks, guys.' he hears, and feels her patting his shoulder. He sees her smiling at him, then turns and his memory fades when he saw a non-descript tom dressed in blue and red.

"John." he hears, "John?"

"I know her." he says, pointing to the picture of the blond on the screen, as his vision returns.

"That's deputy Mayor Briggs. Do you remember anything?"

"Only that she said, 'Thanks, guys', and touched my shoulder. T--that's all I can remember."

"'Guys?'"

"I turn and see someone, a tom-kat, but I... don't see him, either. I--I can't see him. I don't know what he looks like."

"OK. I'll update your file then. Back to our original subject, it's a pretty good chance you won't get the leg, as there will likely be other candidates for it."

"Better a slim chance than none." he replies, before looking back at the TV. He turns up the volume, and listens to the reporter asking her as she leave City Hall with several boxes on a hand truck, 'Where are you going to go, Ms. Briggs?'

'No comment.' she says as she starts putting the boxes into her car.

'Why are you leaving?'

'No comment.' she repeats as she finally gets in her car and drives off.

* * *

A couple days later, in New Cymric:

The doorbell rings, and Jake gets up from the chair he'd been dozing in and opens it.

"Hi Jake. Can I come in?" Callie asks, dressed in a jogging outfit.

"What're you doing here?"

"I told you I'm moving to town when my term was up. It's January. I just wanted to see you," she says before repeating, "Can I come in?"

"Fine. Sure. Just don't expect much conversation. I'm tired."

"Why are you acting so cold toward me? Do you hate me or something?"

I... don't hate you." he replies.

"Then talk to me. Every time I try to tell you how much I love you, you say you don't love me, then you hang up or leave. Why don't you love me?"

"Chance loved you."

"That excuse again? I liked the 'I'd rather you loved me more then Razor' excuse better. Jake, I've loved you for a long time. When I found out you were also Razor, I felt a bit confused, but I still loved you. I love you even today, Jake, but I won't put up with you pushing me away forever."

"You want me to say I love you back, huh? Fine. I love you. Now tell me if I meant that or not."

"Sarcasm aside," she spits, "Deep down, I think you do. But, I won't put up with any more of this. I've wasted enough of my life on a pathetic, worthless, coward of a tomkat. Goodbye, Jacob Clawson. Don't bother calling me."

"Callie." Jake says, looking her in the eyes as she turns angrily, "It's not a matter of 'I don't love you', it's a matter of 'I can't love you'. I just can't, I feel it would betray Chance's memory. But the feelings are there."

She stares at him, not knowing what to say in response. "Now you can leave me to my misery." Jake adds as he turns away from her and walks toward his chair.

Callie exhales sharply, almost a sob, trying to hold back the tears. "That's the most truthful you've been with me about your feelings yet, Jake."

"Yeah, well, have a good life then, Ms. Briggs."

"I'll be searching for someplace else to live tomorrow. May I stay the night on your sofa?"

"My bedroom is at the end of the hallway. I was going to sleep here anyway. I haven't slept in my room in several months." Jake sits down on his chair, reclining it and staring at the ceiling.

Callie walks a few steps down the hallway, then turns and looks at Jake, who sighs and continues to stare at the ceiling. Reluctantly, she walks down the hallway and enters the room at the end of it.

She wrinkles her nose at the musty smell of a room that had not been lived in. After turning on the light, she looks around at the dusty and unused room. She pokes her head back into the hallway, muttering, 'He was right about not using his room...'

She clears her throat and yells, "Jake, do you have a fan so I can get this room aired out?"

He sighs as he stands, and walks to the hall closet. He pulls a box fan out for her, sets it in the doorway, then plugs it in the wall socket. As he stands, she tries to kiss him, but he ducks and shuffles down the hallway, leaving her even more confused about him.

* * *

The next evening;

"What are you still doing here, Clawson?" he hears as he sat at his desk.

"Oh, Dr. Glass. I, uh, was looking through the potential candidates for the prototype. This one caught my attention for several reasons." he replies, looking at the kat in a lab-coat.

"And they are?"

"He's an unidentified amnesiac from my hometown, MegaKat City. That and... the time and place he gained his injuries. He was one of the homeless injured by the wreckage." Jake closes the folder and places it in the middle of the stack.

"I sense there's a story behind that remark?" Dr. Glass asks as Jake stands and stretches.

"You'd never believe it, sir. So, I'm not going to state my final reason why."

"Clawson. Why?" he asks, placing a paw on Jake's shoulder.

Jake hangs his head slightly, then replies, "I personally owe him. I'll leave it at that."

He walks to the door of the lab and turns, "Goodnight, Dr. Glass. I'll see you tomorrow." Jake walks out the door, leaving his supervisor wondering exactly what his newest researcher was hiding in his past.

Dr. Glass pulls the folder from the stack and looks at it, scanning the information inside.

* * *

Jake pulls into the driveway and gets out. As he walks inside, Callie's car pulls up. She steps out, looking exhausted. She walks inside after him, and watches as he flops down onto the sofa.

"Sorry Jake, I had no luck finding a place today." she looks at the expression on his face and asks, "Ok, Jake, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"It's not 'nothing'. Something's bothering you. Tell me about it, please?"

She sits next to him, removing her shoes and wiggling her toes, then takes off her suit jacket and tie and drapes them across the arm of the sofa.

"There's, uh... We're developing new prosthetics. We've decided that a leg will be our first prototype. I've come up with a new actuator system, and we've been reviewing candidates for testing the prototype. I came across one from MegaKat City." Jake stops, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "He was injured by-- by debris from the TurboKat. I owe him. He was crippled by my jet, and it'll be my leg that'll make him walk again. I'm going to push to have him as our test subject."

"Jake, it's not your fault. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I know, but I can't help but think that he'd be walking right now if we hadn't flown that day. A--and Chance would still be alive."

Callie stands, shaking her head. "If you hadn't flown, who knows what might have happened to MegaKat City. Feral and I didn't let the media know something, Jake."

He looks up at her and asks, "What didn't you let the media know?"

She replies, "The Enforcers found a thermo-nuclear warhead in the wreckage of Dark Kat's ship. That tom would be dead if you hadn't flown. I don't know what else to say about it, but you saved about a million lives. A million versus the almost fifty who died from the wreckage."

He stares at her, his mouth agape. He finally stutters, "A--a t h--thermo-nuclear bomb?"

"You saved lives by flying. Please, wake up to reality, Jake. Chance died a hero. You are a hero. You don't owe that tom personally. I understand you feel responsible for his injuries, but you didn't cause them."

He stands and says, his voice thick, "I'm not a hero. I never joined the Enforcers to fly, Callie."

Why did you join?"

"I joined to get in R&D, what I'm doing now. It was a paperwork mistake that landed me in the Flight Corps with an egomaniac pilot. But I grew to love flying. And I started to become friends with my pilot. Then we got kicked out. I saw it as a chance to start my own Research and Development, the products of which were used to help the Enforcers fight the criminals they couldn't handle alone."

She kisses him, pressing her body against his.

"Callie, I can't." he says, trying to pull away from her.

"Jake, you need this," she says, unbuttoning her shirt before kissing him again.

His eyes grew wide as she kissed him again, wrapping her arms around him.

He felt slightly guilty as he started returning her kisses, but the guilt soon disappeared as Callie responded eagerly to him.

* * *

"Clawson, come to my office. I want to speak with you." Dr. Glass says as he walks into the lab.

Jake nods and follows him down a couple corridors, and they enter a door.

"Now, Clawson, what is the real reason that this one caught your eye?"

"Exactly what I said, sir. Am I in trouble or something?"

"Only if you don't reveal what you're hiding."

"All right then. You want the truth?" Dr. Glass nods, and Jake says, "I am, or was, the SWAT Kat Razor. I built the TurboKat, and its wreckage injured that tom. I owe him personally. I'll leave it that sir."

"Well I'll be damned. One of the SWAT Kats is working on my research team?"

"I partly lied about the myo-plastic. I didn't come up with it in college, I came up with it last year, while working on an alternate explosive other than homemade C4 for our baby-boomer missile."

"I have a hard time believing you about the 'SWAT Kat' bit."

"I can verify it, if you can wait an hour or so."

"By all means."

"May I use your phone?"

Jake dials his home phone number, and Callie picks it up.

"Callie, this is Jake. Could you stop by where I work? I want you to meet my boss. Oh, and in my closet, you'll find a box labelled... Razor. Bring it. We'll meet you outside the front gate."

* * *

As Callie walks up to the two toms, Dr. Glass says to her, "Haven't I seen you before?"

"Probably. Up until a few days ago, I was Deputy Mayor of MegaKat City. I brought the box, Jake." she says, handing Jake the box.

"Thanks, Callie." Jake replies, then gives the box to Dr. Glass. "Open it, and ask her anything."

Dr. Glass opens the box, and is, but isn't suprised to find a helmet, Glovatrix, and G-suit, all bearing the red and blue insignia of the SWAT Kats. He glances at Jake before looking at Callie and asking, "Is he really a SWAT Kat?"

"Yes. He was. He gave it up when his partner died in a crash. The wreckage killed many homeless Kats. Only one survivor, and he was in such bad shape that no one could recognize him."

Jake responds bitterly, "My fault Chance is dead, my fault this tom's injured. I owe him a new leg, at least. If you're not going to give him the prototype, I'll pay for his leg when it reaches production."

"Well Clawson, you got it then. He'll get the leg. No one must know about this though." he says, gesturing to the box. He turns to Callie, "So, why did you leave MegaKat City?"

"I love him. I had for a long time before I found out he was Razor."

"So you've known him for a while, then."

"Since he was an Enforcer. When he was sent to MegaKat Salvage, and became a mechanic, I'd choose his shop just to see him."

* * *

Six months later;

"We have someone here, Commander. According to his pawprints, he's an Ex-Enforcer named Chancellor Furlong. We just got his records in today. We'd like if you could come over and see him. It may jog his memory."

"Furlong... Are you sure?"

"Well, all his remaining fingers are a direct match for the prints in his record. Could you also tell me why it was so hard to access his records?"

"I'll be over in a few hours, and his records are resricted access. How did you actually get them?"

"I know some kats in high places."

"Like who?"

"Generals Korat and Thompson among others. I'll see you then, Commander."

* * *

"Thank you for stopping by, Commander."

"Well, may I see him?"

"Of course. Follow me," the doctor replies before leading Feral through a set of double-doors and a hallway.

"There he is, Commander." the doctor says as they walk to an observation window. They see the tom in question running at a light pace on a treadmill, various sensors and equipment hooked to his body and a small eletronic linkup connected to an open panel on his leg.

"That is Furlong." Feral replies, then his voice drops to a whisper as he muses to himself, "How in the world did he..."

"Commander, this way." the doctor says, holding the door to the workout room open.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

They enter the room and Feral purposefully strides up to Chance.

"Furlong." he says as he stops near the tom.

"That's who they say I am. Just a sec. Whenever they get done testing my prosthetic I'll talk to you."

After a few more minutes, the treadmill powers down and Chance starts walking slower and slower until it stops. A technician detaches all the leads and the linkup to the prosthetic and says, "Well, the leg is performing better than expected. The only flaw is the battery life, but we've got a team working on it. See you next month."

"See ya, Doc."

Feral stands there, his arms crossed, as Chance turns around and smacks square into him.

"Oh, sorry..." Chance says and freezes as he sees the larger tom for the first time. He briefly sees and hears something, and shakes his head, trying to remember.

"Do you know who I am, Furlong?" Feral asks.

"I can't place you, but I... should. I get a negative feeling from you."

"You should know me. I was your superior for five years. You hated my guts every second of it, too."

"Five years?"

"Yes, Lieutenant," Feral says, then looks at his watch, "I'm missing a meeting with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. We'll talk later, Furlong"

"See you later, Commander."

* * *

That night, after having seen Commander Feral, he wondered what it was he had remembered so briefly. After laying out his pajamas, he sat down on his bed, taking off his prosthetic leg and plugging it in the nearby wall socket. He changed into his pajamas, then pushing all the thoughts from his mind, lay down to sleep.

He heard a voice call, "T-Bone, we gotta..." as he saw a

distorted shape rushing at him...

"...get those ejektor seats in. Here, catch!" he turns from the

unpainted hulk to see a caramel colored tom in blue overalls

tossing a wrench at him. He catches it, then turns around to a

large black fightercraft that sat where the partially built

jet was the moment before. He turns back around to the tom in the

blue overalls to see him wearing a a blue and red flight suit and

helmet, a black mask and a fierce grin.

"C'mon, let's go, the MetalliKats are attacking MegaKat First

National!" the small tom yells as he leaps onto the jet and

settles into the back seat of the cockpit. "C'mon, T-Bone, don't

just stand there! We..."

"...need a pilot, buddy!" he hears as he opens his eyes to see

the city coming toward them at an incredible rate. He pulls back

on the joystick, and the jet levels out. The sky is a maelstrom

of energy, and the City seemed to change shape and morph before

him.

"Why didn't you eject?" he hears himself asking.

"And miss that look on your face? No..."

"...problem, buddy." his friend says, dressed in a grey uniform.

He turns his attention to the blond she-kat and asks, "You ok,

miss?"

"Yeah," she says, then asks in a quivering voice, "How did you do

that?"

He replies, "I was an Enforcer. So was Jake. Now we work

security at..."

"...Pumadyne, again? What is that place, psycho central?"

"We've got a bigger problem, T-Bone, the MetalliKats know our

secret identities." his partner says as he looks in the mirror at

him. Worry is written all over the caramel's face. "Once they

spill the beans, it'll be all over."

"Then let's..."

"...kick some tail!" he yells as he unsheathes his claws and

leaps to his feet. He grabs the nearest Dark Ages knight and

throws him like he would a baseball. He looks at his partner and

stops as he sees his buddy look past from his locker. He looks

in that direction as well to see Commander Feral enter the

pilot's locker room and stop in front of his locker.

As he turns back to his own locker, he notices the letters 'T.B.'

spraypainted on it's door. He looks back over at his partner and

in a single moment he hears and sees his entire life in a

cacophony of sound and images.

He remembers jerking back on the stick, and the other craft

impacting the bottom of the TurboKat, tearing it in half. He

glances up, seeing flash of flame above him, and the metallic

gleam and yellow flame of his partner's ejektor launching. He

presses his eject button, but to no avail, so he slaps the

release on his harness. He feels the heat from the TurboKat's

explosion sear his skin as he sees the side of a building rushes

toward him. His vision momentarily blacks as he feels the

impact.

He opens his eyes as the heat subsides and looks down to see a

huge chunk of metal buried in his left thigh, and his leg

beneath it flopping loosely. He looks upward to see the ground

coming at him quickly. The impact knocks him completely

unconscious.

He screams as he sits up straight in his bed and several nurses run into the room. He starts sobbing, "I remember, I remember, I remember..."

* * *

A week later, he leaves the institute, with a couple hundred in cash, his remaining money from the reasearch center that he had tested his prototype leg for. He walks to Enforcer HQ, then stops and checks the power level on the batteries. They weren't ok, so he decided that he would shut off the leg when he got to Commander Feral's office.

He walks into the Commander's office as he and a tomkat he didn't recognize were sitting, discussing the latest Mayoral policy for the City. Feral looks up at the intruder, and quickly recognizes him.

"What are you doing here Furlong?"

He asks, "May I sit down? My leg can only go for a few hours before it needs a recharge, and it's been awhile."

"Go ahead. Why are you here?" Feral replies.

"Thank you Commander." Chance says as he sits down next to the wall and pulls up his pant leg. He pulls a cord from it and plugs it in, then looks up and says, "I remember. It was the night after you saw me, and it all came back."

"And just who are you?" the other tom asks.

Feral replies, "Deputy Mayor Alexander Terida, this is First Lieutenant Chancellor E. Furlong, MegaKat City Enforcers."

"Commander, I need to find Jake." Chance interjects.

"I've already ordered a search. Last night I recieved word that he is in New Cymric. I'll warn you, that's where Felina was transferred after your supposed death."

"Thank you, Commander. Could you do me a further favor and not tell anyone, especially Felina, where I'm going? I owe you bigtime as it is, but if you could do that for me, I'd appreciate it."

"I will." Feral replies softly, then states, "Dismissed Furlong, and good luck. You can finish recharging your leg in the Mess Hall, and I'll get the keys to storage to you. Cl--er, Jake... asked that your things be places in storage, and that he'd pick up the bill."

Chance nods as he unplugs his leg and turns it back on. He walks out of the office, and Deputy Mayor Terida says, "What is going on here, Feral? Who is this 'Jake'? I want answers."

"You'll need Alpha-2 clearance at a minimum to access either of their files. I'll say no more."

"I can have those files on my desk tomorrow then. I know General Korat."

"Just try. They are so sensitive that one phone call and they are destroyed." Feral picks up the reciever on his desk and waves it at the Deputy Mayor. "By the time you talk to Korat, there will be no record of a Lieutenant Chancellor Furlong ever existing. Or his partner's files for that matter."

"You wouldn't dare." Terida snarls.

Feral growls in response, "Try me."

* * *

Two weeks later, as he steps off the bus, he's suddenly surrounded by Enforcers.

"Chance Furlong?" the leader, a lieutenant asks.

"Yes?" he replies.

"We're to bring you in for questioning."

"What for?"

The Enforcers glance at each other, then the leader says, "Information regarding the death of the MegaKat City vigilante T-Bone."

"I see. Well, lead on, officers."

They place his baggage in the trunk of their car, then they all get in. As he gets settled in the back seat between two Enforcers, he asks, "Can I turn off my leg?"

"What?"

"I ain't pulling a gun or anything, ok? I'm just turning off my leg." he says as he pulls his pant leg up. He opens a small panel and pushes the switch to 'off'.

"You wear a prosthetic leg?"

"It happens when you have to get yours amputated. This one has a short battery life, and if I sit down for more than five minutes, I usually turn it off."

* * *

'Just great, I've been stuck here for an hour when they say it would take five minutes. Probably just wanna see how I handle the time alone.' Chance muses as he sits at the table in the darkened room. He glances up again at the camera in the corner, then shrugs and places his head in his paw. A few minutes later, the door handle turns and the door swings open. He sits up as he sees the silouette of someone on the door.

"It's about time someone..." he growls, his growl changing to a gasp as the figure turns the room lights on and he recognizes them, "...Felina?"

"Hello, Chance. I figured you were coming here."

"I asked your Uncle not to tell anyone."

"He didn't, not that it matters. I had a hunch that you were alive when a nationwide records search was ordered for Jake." She walks up to him, and after a very slight hesitation, she kisses him.

He pulls away, "Look, Felina, it can't be like it was. I'm well, not... whole anymore. A--and, I never really was in love with you, either."

"The first reason doen't matter, Chance, and I don't believe the second."

"It does to me. I only have one leg, half a tail, and it's hard not to notice this," he says, holding up his right paw. "The second reason is the complete truth. I was in love with someone else, not that she loved me."

"Do you think it truly matters to me?" she asks, taking his crippled paw in hers. She spreads his out in hers, and says, "It doesn't matter if you're missing both legs, both arms, your tail, and you're incapable of making love, Chance, I still will love you the same as I did. You haven't changed, just the package you're in. And why love someone who won't love you back? Give your love to someone who does love you."

"When you lose your memories for two years, you develop a personality that can't be repressed when you regain your memories. I ain't the same Chance you fell in love with. Everything is different. Everything."

"Then... I think I should show you." she says, walking out the door and stopping just outside it. He turns his leg back on, then stands and walks out to her. She turns and heads down the hallway. She turns down another hallway, then opens a door.

He hears the cry, "Mommy!" and he steps in to see Felina holding a tiger-striped she-kitten. Two sets of emerald green eyes blink simultaneously at each other, then the kitten asks, "Dis, Mommy? Dis, Mommy?"

Felina turns and looks at Chance. The kitten cranes her neck to see the stranger as Felina replies, "This is your Daddy, Nadia."

Nadia simply stares at Chance with wide green eyes, then starts flirting with him as only a toddler she-kitten can.

"I'm a dad." he says in shock, slumping against the nearby wall.

"Yes. She definitely our child. I see so much of us both in her."

"Nadia? Not the first name I'd choose, but it is pretty."

"It's my mother's name." Felina says.

"I'm a dad. I can't believe it," he says, then almost laughs as he adds, "I owe you child support."

"You can get out of that by moving in with me." she replies as she puts Nadia down. "Please, Chance, I need you, and she needs a father."

"I--I gotta find Jake, Felina. He needs to know I'm ok." He watches as Nadia runs off on all fours and pounces on an older tom-kitten. The tom backs away from the headstrong she-kitten, who crouches and watches him intensely.

The tom backed behind a toybox and crouched himself, ready to leap out of the way if she pounced again. Felina replies, "He lives right here in town. I'll drive you there."

Felina walks over and catches her mid-air as she tries to pounce on the tom again. "Time to go, you bundle of energy. We're going to visit someone."

The tom-kitten looked relieved that she was leaving.

* * *

"I'll get it Jake!" Callie yells as she rushes to get the doorbell.

She looks through the peephole, and sees an oddly familiar, yet thin and scarred tiger tom and Felina Feral standing there.

She cautiously opens the door. The tom takes off his derby(Yes, Chance's hat in this fic is a derby) and asks, "Uh, hi, Callie. I--is, umm, Jake in?"

"He's in his workshop. Who should I say is here?" she asks, her curiosity piqued at this tom who referred to her by her nickname.

"Chance." he replies.

"Chan... what happened to you?" she asks, opening the door all the way. A tiger-striped she-kitten looks at her with wide green eyes, and holds tightly onto Felina's paw.

"I survived the accident, barely. I was in a coma for a year, and I just got my memories back last week."

"Come in, make yourselves at home," she says, then turns and runs through the house at a break-neck pace.

She dashes into the garage. "Jake, you'll never believe who showed up at the door. Come, quick!"

"What, what, what?" he asks as she all but drags him into the house and into the living room.

Chance stands as Jake enters, still holding his hat. "Hey Jake, long time no see."

"CHANCE!" Jake cries, and a second later, both toms are crying like kittens as they embrace each other.

After a moment, they seperate and Chance asks, "Can I plug my leg in, I think the batteries are probably low."

"Leg?"

"I have a prosthetic. It uses plastic muscles instead of motors. I can't wait 'til they get better batteries for it." Chance says as he sits near a wall socket.

"What's the serial number?" Jake asks, his expression disbelieving.

"NCA8561-..."

"...P001?" Jake finishes.

Chance nods.

"That's my leg! Callie, that's my leg! You're 'John Doe'? The one I thought was injured by... Chance, you're wearing my leg!" Jake says, exitedly.

"All right already, you don't have to repeat it three times."

"Show up at my work tomorrow, and we can try out the upgrades we had slated to ship out to Samuel Manx Institute. The prosthetic is still in testing, so any upgrades at this point are free. I'll call Dr. Glass and let him know that you're here, and not in MegaKat anymmore."

"It's good to know you're ok, Jake."

"And you, buddy. So, who's the little one?" Jake says as they all enter the dining room.

"Well, when... the accident happened, Felina musta been pregnant. I just found out myself today."

"Wanna help make dinner, buddy?" Jake asks.

"Like what?" Chance asks.

"Your 'namesake steaks'."

"My special recipe?" Chance replies with a smile.

"I think I have all the ingredients."

"Sure. I'd be glad to."

"While your starting, I'll make that phone call to Dr. Glass." Jake says as he picks up the phone.

FIN


End file.
